Communication Builds Our Community
Communication Builds Our Community
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There are many components that combine to create a successful virtual learning experience for your child. Navigating the change from in-school learning to at-home learning requires that children receive a wide range of support from academic to technical, from motivational to psychological, and beyond. For those parents forced to navigate this changing learning environment, creating a separate quiet workspace for their children, conducive to focused, effective learning, is the...
(Editor's Note: Lake Wales High School is not included in this report, since it is part of the charter system and not considered a traditional Polk high school. Its graduation rate will be reported separately.) Polk County Public Schools' graduation rate jumped to 86.5 percent last year - a new record high - even as seniors faced unprecedented challenges due to the pandemic. The district's latest graduation rate was a 5.3 percentage point increase from the previous year (81.2...
Florida Governor Ron DeSantis announced Dec. 23 the appointments of Ashley Bell Barnett, Greg Littleton, Teresa Martinez, and Mark Turner to the Polk State College District Board of Trustees. All members are continuing their service to the Board along with Chair Cindy Hartley Ross and member Dan Dorrell. "Our District Board of Trustees is comprised of dedicated members whose unwavering support of our students and steadfast commitment to providing affordable access to quality...
Florida Polytechnic University in Lakeland has been named one of the five best universities in the Southern states for tech students by Deep South Magazine. Florida Poly, the only public university in Florida exclusively dedicated to STEM, shares the top 5 spotlight with renowned institutions like Georgia Tech and the University of South Carolina. The University was also recently recognized as No. 14 in student career outcomes, right behind Harvard and ahead of Stanford...
Max Eugene Blackburn, 85, of Lake Wales passed away Monday, Nov. 16, 2020 at his residence. He was born January 31, 1935 in Brookfield, MO to the late Rex and Mabel Blackburn; he came here from Missouri in 2003. Max was a retired school administrator and coach for the public schools. He was an excellent long-distance bicyclist, enjoyed playing golf, and has volunteered at the Good Shepherd Thrift Shop since 2004. He was a member of the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd and was a devoted husband and father. Max was...
Open enrollment at Polk County Public Schools will take place Nov. 10 - Jan. 12. During open enrollment, families can apply for their students to attend Cambridge AICE, choice schools, career academies, pre-academies, International Baccalaureate, and magnet schools. Application instructions and more information can be found at polkschoolsfl.com/schooloptions. Parents must apply through Parent Portal. For instructions on how to create a Parent Portal account, visit...
Polk County Public Schools and the Florida Department of Health-Polk have partnered to create a COVID-19 call center that opens Monday, Nov. 2. The call center will be open from 12:30 to 8 p.m., seven days a week, except for school holidays. The phone number is 863-298-5206. "The school district and the Florida Department of Health in Polk County have been great partners since the very beginning of the pandemic. Working together, we recognized that we could do more to...
Lake Wales City Commissioners voted unanimously Tuesday, Oct. 20 to appoint James Slaton as the next city manager. Slaton has been serving as interim city manager since June 2, when Ken Fields agreed to take an early retirement. Slaton has worked for the city for more than 17 years, most recently as deputy city manager in charge of nine departments. Commissioners considered other options for a search and decided Slaton had proven himself during his more than four and a half mo...
Lee Alexander "Alex" Wheeler III passed away Tuesday, October 27, 2020 after unexpected complications following surgery. A third generation Lake Walean, Alex was born in Lake Wales on February 4, 1953, and was a graduate of Lake Wales High School and the University of Florida. Alex was a CPA practicing at Bunting Tripp & Ingley, where he specialized in not-for-profit tax law. Alex was an avid scuba diver who loved hiking, camping, and the outdoors in general. His underwater...
The Citizens and Police Community Relations Advisory Board will hold its first public forum at 6 p.m. Monday Oct. 26 at the B Street Center. Due to the COVID-19 virus, attendees must wear masks and have their temperatures checked upon entrance. About 20 seats will be available to accommodate social distancing, so participants may be rotated into the meeting to offer five minute comments. The Lake Wales City Commission re-established the committee in August with the following...
If you drove through Lake Wales neighborhoods this summer, you may have seen them at work - dozens of young people painting, roofing, cleaning – serving their community. Local youth have undergone a lot of changes this year, but it seems nothing can stop them from coming together with caring hearts and working hands for Lake Wales Care Center's annual Stay-At-Home Work Camp (SAHWC). With modest beginnings in 1985, SAHWC started with a handful of individuals completing yard w...
Polk Vision welcomed 18 members of Leadership Polk Class XIV on Thursday, Sept. 17 at the Lone Palm Club. As the only countywide leadership development program in Polk County, Leadership Polk is comprised of individuals who have demonstrated a high level of civic engagement in their local community. Started in 2007, the program brings together accomplished leaders from across the county with the goal of developing a diverse network of resourceful, informed and proactive...
The newly recreated Citizens and Police Community Relations Advisory Committee held its first meeting Monday, Sept. 21 to organize and get acquainted. The Lake Wales City Commission re-established the committee in August with the following purposes: - Providing a forum for citizens to express their opinions about police procedures and to receive informal information from the police department regarding police procedures. - Providing a forum for citizens and the police...
COVID-19 did not deter volunteers from the American Association of University Women from delivering nearly 100 framed prints of famous fine art paintings to area schools for public display. This year the selections range from Middle-Ages masters Durer and Brueghel to more modern artists such as Matisse and Dali. Advancing through their K-12 school years, with displays changing annually, students see a wide variety of styles and periods of art through this program. More pieces...
Polk County Public Schools has created a new resource for parents, employees and members of the public who seek further information about the impact of COVID-19 on their school communities. In conjunction with the Florida Department of Health, PCPS has created polkschoolsfl.com/covidschoolcommunications. "We know how important it is to communicate with our community and to keep them as informed as possible during these very uncertain times," said Rachel Pleasant, senior...
The four candidates for two Polk County School Board seats participated in an online forum that through Facebook has reached more than 6,000 viewers and garnered more than 1,100 comments. Brandon Alvarado with the Lake Wales Arts Council moderated the July 27 forum, sponsored by Rotary on the Ridge, LakeWalesNews.net and BartowNews.net. Incumbent Billy Townsend and challenger William Allen are vying for the District 1 seat, while incumbent Lori Cunningham is being challenged b...
The Aug. 11 Polk County Public School Board meeting featured only two agenda items: updates on COVID-19, and following its lunch break, the search for a new superintendent. As has come to be "par for the course," it was not without acrimony. For the first part of the meeting, dealing with COVID-19 and the re-opening of school, Superintendent Jackie Byrd welcomed Dr. Joy Jackson, director of Polk County's Department of Health, as well as an assembled group of doctors, six altog...
Polk County Public Schools School Board members received an initial look at parents' intentions for the 2020-21 school year during the board's work session on Tuesday, July 28. The district also asked employees about their assignment preferences for the upcoming school year. For a summary of the results so far and more information, visit https://tinyurl.com/y5kh99vl The parent survey originally was set to close on July 27. That deadline has now been extended to 11:59 p.m. on...
FREE MEALS: With the start of the PCPS school year delayed to Aug. 24, Polk County Public Schools is extending its summer meals program to Thursday, Aug. 6. The meals program was originally scheduled to end July 23. Food sites will now continue distributing meals on Mondays and Thursdays from 11 a.m.-1 p.m. through Aug. 6. Please see polkschoolsfl.com/lunchlocations for a complete list of sites and other details. Book donation BOOK DONATIONS: The United States Marine Corps Res...
Gov. Ron DeSantis' recently signed budget includes a multimillion-dollar hit to Polk County Public Schools - and district administrators caution the fiscal future could be even more dire. "The coronavirus pandemic has inflicted unprecedented damage to our state's economy. We are moving forward cautiously, knowing that later this year, or next, we could face major cuts," said Superintendent Jacqueline Byrd. PCPS will have to pay an additional $9 million this year in required co...
The 2020-21 school year will begin in August. Options will be a choice of on-campus, online, or a combination of both. These are the results of a survey taken by a task force created by Polk County Public Schools for the purpose of planning for school to resume amid the coronavirus pandemic held a survey to determine what direction to take. The survey focused on potential safety measures being used in response to COVID-19 for the 2020-21 school year. More than 37,000...
In a special meeting on Tuesday, May 28, the Polk County School Board voted unanimously to sign and send an open letter to Governor Ron DeSantis. The aim of the open letter was to encourage DeSantis to veto HB5007. It also urged the governor to meet the application deadline for education funding through the CARES Act that was passed in late March. HB5007 was passed Feb. 13, a full month before COVID-19 struck. If passed, the bill would increase the rate that state employers...
Lake Wales City Manager Ken Fields and the city commission agreed Tuesday June 2 to part ways in something akin to an "amicable divorce" but it took a lengthy discussion to reach agreement on the terms for the split. "I hope I am viewed as someone who has made Lake Wales a better city," Fields said, noting leaving two years before his contract expired wasn't his choice but he was resigned that it was time to go. Fields' departure was effective immediately, but everyone made...
Polk County Public Schools is surveying students, parents, employees and stakeholders about their thoughts on reopening school in the fall. The online survey will close on Friday, June 12, and can be found at https://polkschoolsfl.com/ The survey takes about five minutes to complete, is anonymous, and is available in multiple languages. Participants will be asked how comfortable they feel with students returning to school in the fall, students wearing masks while on buses and...
Polk County Public Schools will hold an online teacher hiring event from noon to 2 p.m. Thursday, May 21. Future events are planned for 9-11 a.m. June 4 and 2-4 p.m. June 18. The online events include virtual chats that have the potential to lead to follow-up Skype interviews and job offers for teaching positions in the 2020-2021 school year. The school district says it offers one of the highest beginning teacher salaries in the state and a generous benefits package. Click...
