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Polk County Public Schools, Florida, elections
| Polk County Public Schools |
|---|
 |
| District details |
| School board members: 7 |
| Students: 111,041 (2023-2024) |
| Schools: 167 (2023-2024) |
| Website: Link |
Polk County Public Schools is a school district in Florida (Polk County). During the 2024 school year, 111,041 students attended one of the district's 167 schools.
This page provides information regarding school board members, election rules, finances, academics, policies, and more details about the district.
Elections
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Polk County Public Schools school board District 1
General election
Polk County Public Schools school board District 2
General election
Polk County Public Schools school board District 4
General election
Polk County Public Schools school board District 3
General election
Polk County Public Schools school board District 5
General election
Polk County Public Schools school board District 6
General election
Polk County Public Schools school board District 7
General election
General election for Polk County Public Schools school board District 7
Incumbent Lisa Bone Miller defeated Jill Sessions in the general election for Polk County Public Schools school board District 7 on November 8, 2022.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Lisa Bone Miller (Nonpartisan) | 55.6 | 109,563 |
| Jill Sessions (Nonpartisan) | 44.4 | 87,617 | ||
| Total votes: 197,180 | |||
 = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
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Polk County Public Schools school board District 1
General election
Polk County Public Schools school board District 2
General election
Polk County Public Schools school board District 4
General election
Polk County Public Schools school board District 3
General election
General election for Polk County Public Schools school board District 3
Sarah Fortney defeated Scott Jones in the general election for Polk County Public Schools school board District 3 on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ | Sarah Fortney (Nonpartisan) | 60.8 | 120,176 | |
| Scott Jones (Nonpartisan) | 39.2 | 77,519 | ||
| Total votes: 197,695 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Polk County Public Schools school board District 5
General election
General election for Polk County Public Schools school board District 5
Incumbent Kay Fields defeated Jennifer Sabin in the general election for Polk County Public Schools school board District 5 on November 6, 2018.
Candidate | % | Votes | ||
| ✔ |  | Kay Fields (Nonpartisan) | 52.2 | 105,110 |
 | Jennifer Sabin (Nonpartisan) | 47.8 | 96,167 | |
| Total votes: 201,277 | |||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Polk County Public Schools school board District 6
General election
The general election was canceled. Lynn Wilson (Nonpartisan) won without appearing on the ballot.
Polk County Public Schools school board District 7
General election
Polk County Public Schools school board District 2
General election
General election for Polk County Public Schools school board District 2
Incumbent Lori Cunningham won election in the general election for Polk County Public Schools school board District 2 on August 30, 2016.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | Lori Cunningham (Nonpartisan) | |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Polk County Public Schools school board District 4
General election
General election for Polk County Public Schools school board District 4
Incumbent Dick Mullenax won election in the general election for Polk County Public Schools school board District 4 on August 30, 2016.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | Dick Mullenax (Nonpartisan) | |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Polk County Public Schools school board District 3
General election
General election for Polk County Public Schools school board District 3
Incumbent Hazel Sellers won election in the general election for Polk County Public Schools school board District 3 on August 26, 2014.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ |  | Hazel Sellers (Nonpartisan) |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Polk County Public Schools school board District 5
General election
General election for Polk County Public Schools school board District 5
Incumbent Kay Fields won election in the general election for Polk County Public Schools school board District 5 on August 26, 2014.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ | | Kay Fields (Nonpartisan) |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Polk County Public Schools school board District 6
General election
General election for Polk County Public Schools school board District 6
Incumbent Lynn Wilson won election in the general election for Polk County Public Schools school board District 6 on August 26, 2014.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ |  | Lynn Wilson (Nonpartisan) |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
Polk County Public Schools school board District 7
General election
General election for Polk County Public Schools school board District 7
Incumbent Tim Harris won election in the general election for Polk County Public Schools school board District 7 on August 26, 2014.
Candidate | ||
| ✔ |  | Tim Harris (Nonpartisan) |
| ||||
| = candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey. | ||||
| If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey. | ||||
Do you want a spreadsheet of this type of data? Contact our sales team. | ||||
About the district
School board
Polk County Public Schools consists of seven members serving four-year terms. To find information about school board meetings, click here.
| Name | Seat | Year assumed office | Year term ends |
|---|---|---|---|
| Travis Keyes | District 2 | 2024 | 2028 |
| William Allen | District 1 | 2020 | 2028 |
| Sara Beth Reynolds Wyatt | District 4 | 2016 | 2028 |
| Rick Nolte | District 3 | 2022 | 2026 |
| Justin Sharpless | District 6 | 2022 | 2026 |
| Lisa Bone Miller | District 7 | 2018 | 2026 |
| Kay Fields | District 5 | 2002 | 2026 |
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District map
Overlapping state house districts
The table was limited to the lower chamber because it provides the most granularity. State house districts tend to be more numerous and therefore smaller than state senate or U.S. House districts. This provides an impression of the partisan affiliations in the area.
Budget
The following statistics were published by the National Center for Education Statistics, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Education.[1]
| SOURCE | AMOUNT | AMOUNT PER STUDENT | PERCENT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federal: | $299,115,000 | $2,837 | 21% |
| Local: | $500,474,000 | $4,747 | 35% |
| State: | $622,505,000 | $5,905 | 44% |
| Total: | $1,422,094,000 | $13,490 |
| TYPE | AMOUNT | AMOUNT PER STUDENT | PERCENT |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Expenditures: | $1,326,165,000 | $12,579 | |
| Total Current Expenditures: | $1,207,494,000 | $11,453 | |
| Instructional Expenditures: | $741,458,000 | $7,033 | 56% |
| Student and Staff Support: | $161,199,000 | $1,529 | 12% |
| Administration: | $100,745,000 | $955 | 8% |
| Operations, Food Service, Other: | $204,092,000 | $1,935 | 15% |
| Total Capital Outlay: | $91,671,000 | $869 | |
| Construction: | $65,326,000 | $619 | |
| Total Non El-Sec Education & Other: | $13,979,000 | $132 | |
| Interest on Debt: | $13,021,000 | $123 |
Academic performance
Each year, state and local education agencies use tests and other standards to assess student proficiency. Although the data below was published by the U.S. Department of Education, proficiency measurements are established by the states. As a result, proficiency levels are not comparable between different states and year-over-year proficiency levels within a district may not be comparable because states may change their proficiency measurements. To protect student privacy, percentages are reported as ranges for groups of 300 students or fewer. If five or fewer students were included in a data set, the data will display as "PS."[2]
The following table shows the percentage of district students who scored at or above the proficiency level each school year:
| School year | All (%) | Asian/Pacific Islander (%) | Black (%) | Hispanic (%) | Native American (%) | Two or More Races (%) | White (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-2022 | 42 | 72 | 28 | 36 | 35-39 | 47 | 54 |
| 2020-2021 | 39 | 68 | 25 | 33 | 40-44 | 42 | 53 |
| 2018-2019 | 50 | 77 | 35 | 43 | 40-44 | 53 | 62 |
| 2017-2018 | 50 | 78 | 35 | 43 | 45-49 | 51 | 62 |
| 2016-2017 | 46 | 72 | 31 | 41 | 35-39 | 51 | 56 |
| 2015-2016 | 43 | 69 | 28 | 38 | 35-39 | 46 | 53 |
| 2014-2015 | 43 | 74 | 28 | 39 | 35-39 | 53 | |
| 2013-2014 | 48 | 77 | 32 | 43 | 46 | 57 | |
| 2012-2013 | 49 | 78 | 34 | 45 | 48 | 57 | |
| 2011-2012 | 48 | 76 | 32 | 44 | 46 | 56 | |
| 2010-2011 | 61 | 85 | 46 | 56 | 59 | 69 |
The following table shows the percentage of district students who scored at or above the proficiency level each school year:
| School year | All (%) | Asian/Pacific Islander (%) | Black (%) | Hispanic (%) | Native American (%) | Two or More Races (%) | White (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-2022 | 43 | 72 | 32 | 38 | 40-44 | 49 | 54 |
| 2020-2021 | 43 | 71 | 30 | 37 | 40-44 | 48 | 55 |
| 2018-2019 | 47 | 71 | 34 | 40 | 40-44 | 52 | 59 |
| 2017-2018 | 46 | 71 | 33 | 40 | 35-39 | 51 | 57 |
| 2016-2017 | 46 | 71 | 32 | 40 | 35-39 | 53 | 57 |
| 2015-2016 | 45 | 72 | 30 | 39 | 40-44 | 50 | 55 |
| 2014-2015 | 45 | 72 | 28 | 39 | 45-49 | 54 | |
| 2013-2014 | 49 | 72 | 33 | 43 | 43 | 59 | |
| 2012-2013 | 50 | 73 | 34 | 44 | 46 | 59 | |
| 2011-2012 | 48 | 70 | 32 | 42 | 47 | 59 | |
| 2010-2011 | 55 | 71 | 38 | 48 | 53 | 64 |
The following table shows the graduation rate of district students each school year:
| School year | All (%) | Asian/Pacific Islander (%) | Black (%) | Hispanic (%) | Native American (%) | Two or More Races (%) | White (%) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-2022 | 78 | 90-94 | 75 | 76 | >=80 | 75-79 | 82 |
| 2020-2021 | 85 | 90-94 | 85 | 84 | >=90 | 80-84 | 86 |
| 2019-2020 | 87 | >=95 | 87 | 86 | 80-89 | 85-89 | 87 |
| 2018-2019 | 81 | 90-94 | 79 | 79 | 80-89 | 80-84 | 84 |
| 2017-2018 | 80 | 90-94 | 78 | 80 | 70-79 | 70-74 | 82 |
| 2016-2017 | 75 | 90-94 | 70 | 75 | 60-69 | 70-74 | 78 |
| 2015-2016 | 72 | 85-89 | 68 | 69 | 70-79 | 70-74 | 74 |
| 2014-2015 | 69 | 85-89 | 61 | 68 | 60-69 | 75-79 | 72 |
| 2013-2014 | 69 | 90-94 | 60 | 66 | 60-69 | 74 | |
| 2012-2013 | 69 | 80-84 | 62 | 66 | 60-79 | 73 | |
| 2011-2012 | 68 | 90-94 | 62 | 62 | >=50 | 72 | |
| 2010-2011 | 66 | 80-84 | 60 | 61 | >=50 | 70 |
Students
The following statistics were published by the National Center for Education Statistics, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Education.[3]
| Year | Enrollment | Year-to-year change (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 2023-2024 | 111,041 | 1.3 |
| 2022-2023 | 109,558 | 3.8 |
| 2021-2022 | 105,422 | 4.7 |
| 2020-2021 | 100,495 | -2.4 |
| 2019-2020 | 102,952 | 1.5 |
| 2018-2019 | 101,408 | 1.5 |
| 2017-2018 | 99,892 | -2.4 |
| 2016-2017 | 102,295 | 0.6 |
| 2015-2016 | 101,635 | 1.9 |
| 2014-2015 | 99,723 | 1.8 |
| 2013-2014 | 97,953 | 1.0 |
| 2012-2013 | 96,937 | 0.9 |
| 2011-2012 | 96,070 | 0.9 |
| 2010-2011 | 95,178 | 0.7 |
| 2009-2010 | 94,530 | -0.1 |
| 2008-2009 | 94,657 | 0.7 |
| 2007-2008 | 93,980 | 1.3 |
| 2006-2007 | 92,801 | 3.6 |
| 2005-2006 | 89,443 | 3.5 |
| 2004-2005 | 86,292 | 2.5 |
| 2003-2004 | 84,135 | 2.3 |
| 2002-2003 | 82,179 | 1.2 |
| 2001-2002 | 81,207 | 2.1 |
| 2000-2001 | 79,477 | 1.0 |
| 1999-2000 | 78,685 | 0.0 |
| RACE | Polk County Public Schools (%) | Florida K-12 STUDENTS (%) |
|---|---|---|
| American Indian/Alaska Native | 0.2 | 0.2 |
| Asian or Asian/Pacific Islander | 1.6 | 2.9 |
| Black | 21.0 | 20.9 |
| Hispanic | 42.4 | 37.2 |
| Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander | 0.2 | 0.2 |
| Two or More Races | 2.8 | 4.2 |
| White | 31.9 | 34.4 |
Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.
Staff
The following statistics were published by the National Center for Education Statistics, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Education.[4]
As of the 2023-2024 school year, Polk County Public Schools had 5,907.90 full-time classroom teachers. The student-teacher ratio was 18.8.
| TYPE | NUMBER OF TEACHERS |
|---|---|
| Prekindergarten: | 59.00 |
| Kindergarten: | 370.50 |
| Elementary: | 2,122.40 |
| Secondary: | 2,411.00 |
| Total: | 5,907.90 |
Polk County Public Schools employed 69.00 district administrators and 386.00 school administrators as of the 2023-2024 school year.
| TYPE | NUMBER OF ADMINISTRATORS |
|---|---|
| District Administrators: | 69.00 |
| District Administrative Support: | 202.00 |
| School Administrators: | 386.00 |
| School Administrative Support: | 503.00 |
| TYPE | NUMBER OF OTHER STAFF |
|---|---|
| Instructional Aides: | 1,564.00 |
| Instruc. Coordinators & Supervisors: | 100.00 |
| Total Guidance Counselors: | 255.50 |
| Elementary Guidance Counselors: | 70.00 |
| Secondary Guidance Counselors: | 146.50 |
| Librarians/Media Specialists: | 82.00 |
| Library/Media Support: | 49.00 |
| Student Support Services: | 1,756.10 |
| Other Support Services: | 2,721.50 |
Schools
The following statistics were published by the National Center for Education Statistics, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Education.[5]
School board meetings
The following articles were produced by Citizen Portal using artificial intelligence to analyze public meetings. Citizen Portal publishes articles based on the availability of meeting broadcasts, so the number of articles provided may vary by district. Although these articles are not produced or edited by Ballotpedia, they are included here as a supplemental resource for readers.
About school boards
Education legislation in Florida
Bills are monitored by BillTrack50 and sorted by action history.
See also
| School Boards | Education Policy | Local Politics | Florida |
|---|---|---|---|
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External links
Footnotes
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Elementary/Secondary Information System," accessed October 6, 2025
- ↑ U.S. Department of Education, Washington, DC: EDFacts, "State Assessments in Reading/Language Arts and Mathematics- School Year 2021-22 EDFacts Data Documentation," accessed October 18, 2025
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Elementary/Secondary Information System," accessed October 6, 2025
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Elementary/Secondary Information System," accessed October 6, 2025
- ↑ National Center for Education Statistics, "Elementary/Secondary Information System," accessed October 6, 2025
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