PCPS Open Enrollment Takes Place Nov. 10 - Jan. 12; Facebook Chats Planned

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 polkschoolsfl.com/parentportal.

Normally, PCPS kicks off the open enrollment period with its annual School Showcase (formerly the WE3 Expo). During the event, thousands of attendees explore school options, meet with school staff, and attend live demonstrations and performances.

Amid the ongoing pandemic, the School Showcase has been cancelled this year. Instead, PCPS is offering virtual opportunities for families to learn about their school options.

Facebook Live events will take place on the following dates and times. PCPS can be found on Facebook @PolkCountyPublicSchools.

1. Nov. 12, 6 p.m., open enrollment overview - Senior Director of Career Pathways Steve Cochran, Senior Director of Acceleration & Innovation Brian Warren, and Accelerated Programs Curriculum Specialist John Miller will provide an overview of the open enrollment process and an explanation of the district's various school options.

2. Nov. 19, 6 p.m., high school options - Cochran, Warren and Miller will discuss options available to high school students. These options include Cambridge AICE, International Baccalaureate, Summerlin Academy, and an array of nationally recognized career academies. A career academy alumnus will also participate to offer firsthand perspective on the benefits of attending a career academy.

3. Dec. 3, 6 p.m., middle school options - Cochran, Warren and Rochelle School of the Arts Principal Julie Ward will discuss options available to middle school students, including pre-academies and magnet/choice schools. Magnet/choice schools offer rigorous academic programs focused on specific areas of student interest, such as the arts, International Baccalaureate and STEM.

4. Dec. 7, 6 p.m., elementary school options - Warren and Winston Academy Principal Ava Brown will discuss the options available to elementary students, specifically magnet/choice schools. Families of students who will be in kindergarten in the 2020-21 school year may apply during open enrollment.

Families may submit questions to be answered during the live chats beginning the Monday prior to each chat. Follow PCPS on Facebook for more information on the live chats.