You can visit the Password Reset Tool to reset your district password. In July the district will advertise thetentative budget once data has been gathered predicting the number of students and teachers anticipated next school year. Polk County Public Schools Recruitment and Hiring System. The District will not tolerate unlawful bullying and harassment of any type. "Cyberbullying" means bullying through the use of technology or any electronic communication, which includes, but is not limited to, any transfer of signs, signals, writing, images, sounds, data, or intelligence of any nature transmitted in whole or in part by a wire, radio, electromagnetic system, photelectronic system, or photooptical system, including, but not limited to, electronic mail, Internet communications, instant messages, or facsimile communications. Information on dress code, Code of Conduct, attendance, and Student Progression Plan. Accelerated Academic Programs Polk County Public Schools offers many programs for qualified, high-achieving students. Find your Board member, access Board meeting calendars and agendas, and learn how you can watch meeting broadcasts. Florida spending $9,980 per student and pays teachers an average salary of$49,583. Upon the completion of the investigation and if criminal charges are to be pursued against the perpetrator, the appropriate law enforcement agencies shall be notified by telephone and/or in writing. Submission of a good faith complaint or report bullying or harassment will not affect the complainant or reporter's future employment, grades, learning or working environment, or work assignments. If you want to be notified of updates to our website, please subscribe here! Reminders of the policy and bullying prevention messages will be displayed, as appropriate, at each school and at District facilities. Polk County HUB ; Staff List; Annual Accountability; . . Check out your childs grades, attendance, and more! View school menus and replenish your accounts. The ultimate winner: It takes more than numbers to sum up Castle's career. In-person benefit assistance is available at an upcoming health and benefit fair. The issue came up. It was obvious that the board really did not propose that the employees premiums increase, so we have kept those the same, saidPCPS Chief of StaffJason Pitts. Best of all, PBS LearningMedia is free for educators. But after year of COVID-19, a new reality sets in. Pitts saida reduction in spending for the Polk County School Board to consider would be to start charging a premium for health insurance and looking for duplicate services provided in current contracts for services as budget deliberations continue. I just put my absence in as my own sick leave.. Staff Directory Administration. Cyberbullying also includes the distribution by electronic means of a communication to more than one person or the posting of material on an electronic medium that may be accessed by one or more persons, if the distribution or posting creates any of the conditions enumerated in the definition of bullying. The Polk County School District operates 135 schools; 84 elementary schools, 24 middle schools and 17 high schools. The programs of training and instruction authorized by the District shall include, but not be limited to: Dating Violence Prevention: CDC's Choose Respect. Forgot My Password. LAKELAND Polk County Public Schools paraprofessionals and support staff can expect a whopping paycheck at the end of October, thanks to a contract negotiated in recent months andapproved by the School Board during a special meeting on Tuesdaythat retroactively grantsraises and salary increases. PBS LearningMedia is your destination for easy, instant access to tens of thousands of classroom-ready, digital resources including videos and presentations perfect for the Interactive Whiteboard, plus audio and photos, and even in-depth lesson plans. Need Password Help? The District shall provide a referral procedure for intervening when bullying or harassment is suspected or when a bullying incident is reported. The tentative budget for the 2023-2024 school year will be prepared by June setting a proposed millage rate, which is determined by a state formula. The investigator shall collect and evaluate the facts including but not limited to: whether there were past incidents or past continuing patterns of behavior; the relationship between the parties involved including whether the individual was in a position of power over the individual allegedly subject to bullying or harassment; the characteristics of the parties involved; where the bullying and/or harassment occurred; whether there have been other incidents in the school involving the same or other students; whether the conduct adversely affected the student's education or educational environment; the context in which the alleged incidents occurred; and. While Polk's average teacher salary is 35th in the state. The Principal shall establish and prominently publicize to students, staff, volunteers, and parents the procedure for reporting bullying and how such a report will be acted upon. The next largest category is contracted services at $56.3 million. Links to additional information for the community. There will be no changes to the district's health insurance plan. Polks spending on administrative costs is the third lowest in Florida. accessibility concerns, please contact the webmaster. Search results from our Services may contain copyrighted material and, if so, you may not use such content unless you obtain permission from its owner or are otherwise permitted by law. These programs focus on correcting behaviors and developing attitudes and skills that will help students make positive changes in their lives. Any student or student's parent/guardian who believes s/he has been or is the victim of bullying or harassment should immediately report the situation to the school principal. In all cases, the Board reserves the right to refer the results of its own investigation to the State Attorney for possible criminal charges, whether or not the Board takes any action. Polk County School Board. He vowed to visit Florida's legislative offices in Tallahassee himself to make them aware of the alarming numbers facing the fast-growing school district. If the action is outside the scope of the District and believed not a criminal act, the principal shall inform parents/guardians of all minor parties. Ledger reporter Kimberly C. Moore can be reached atkmoore@theledger.comor 863-802-7514. ; ClassLink Online resources and services for students! Please Note: Each step must be completed in less than 20 minutes. This policy should not be interpreted as to prevent a victim or accused from seeking redress under any other available law either civil or criminal. Funded 995th out of the top 1,000 largest school districts. Another, Kelly Services, provides the district with staff, including substitute teachers. The New Polk Schools Staff Portal - Now Mobile Friendly! She said some contracts have been renewed for up to 10 years and the audit could shed light on unnessessary or duplicated services. After his presentation, several School Board members wanted more information or called for legislative action on seeing the outlook for its next spending plan. 1006.147 (known as the Jeffrey Johnson Stand Up for All Students Act) to address both bullying and harassment that does not rise to the level of or is comprised of discriminatory conduct. Related:Polk schools budget is estimated at $2.2B,but its not as much as it could be, Minimum wage:See Florida and federal minimum wages over the last 20 years. Use tab to navigate through the menu items. Its not rocket science.. The bulk of the current general fund budget goes toward salaries and . In West Virginia, it spends $12,270 per student and pays an average teacher salary of$50,261. We are located in the southeastern corner of Tennessee in the heart of the. hmo0w>?HS%eZHFPA6u~wNMQ $ YFm{0D1JR K"XfF6ED#Fshb. Polk County Public Schools serves at-risk students through various alternative education programs. Journey - Personnel Evaluation & Professional Learning System | A Polk County Public Schools Project Journey is an evolving resource designed to support educators at all levels in student-centered professional learning and personnel evaluation activities. This policy does not imply to prohibit expressive activity protected by the First Amendment of the United States Constitution or Article 1, Section 4 of the Florida constitution. According to the level of infraction, the victim's parents will be notified by telephone and/or in writing of actions being taken to protect the child; the frequency of notification will depend on the seriousness of the bullying or harassment incident. She commended new Polk County Schools Superintendent Frederick Heid, who began in June. Users can also select how they wish to receive communication about their benefits (text and/or email). But after year of COVID-19, a new reality sets in, Your California Privacy Rights / Privacy Policy. If you would like additional assistance or have Conduct that constitutes bullying and harassment, as defined herein, is prohibited: during any education program or activity conducted by the District; during any school-related or school-sponsored program or activity or on a District school bus, or at a District school bus stop ; through the use of data or computer software that is accessed through a computer, computer system, or computer network of the District; or. School Board Member Lisa Miller said she was interested in seeing an in-progress efficiency audit of current contracted services with the district. Some School Board members and the Polk Education Association teachersunion president agree. There are also three career centers, five alternative education (Department of Juvenile Justice) facilities, two adult schools and 33 charter schools. 68 0 obj <> endobj This includes two high schools, one college and career academy, two middle schools, and six elementary schools. MetaSearch is intended for research, information and reference purposes only. Learn more, including how you can get involved! The issue came upthis week in Polk afterWendell Watson Elementary School fifth-grade teacher Susan Woolsasked The Ledger about it. Members are required to set up their own account and designate their own username and password. The Florida Education Finance Program provides a formula taking into account the local property tax base, the cost of education programs, the cost of living within a school district, among other factors. Sexual cyberharassment may be a form of sexual harassment. Whether a particular action or incident constitutes a violation of the policy requires a determination based on all the facts and surrounding circumstances and shall include: a recommendation of remedial steps necessary to stop the bullying and/or harassing behavior; and. The instruction shall include evidence-based methods of preventing bullying and harassment, as well as information about how to effectively identify andrespond to bullying in schools. Library Media Services recently purchased Camerons Collection, a mental health and wellness e-book series for secondary students. Florida Southern College receives $120,000 state matching grant for nursing education, Winter Haven doctor, a pioneer of emergency medical services in 1960s, dies at age 98, Events celebrating legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. planned in Lakeland, It takes more than numbers to sum up Castle's career, As development comes to Lake Wales, some residents worry about changes to quality of life, Your California Privacy Rights/Privacy Policy, Polk County School District is the 24th largest in the nation based on the number of students, The Polk County District would be the largest in 39 states, Polk County is the seventh largest district in Florida. 2022 Polk County Public Schools | Equity & Compliance | About the District | Style Guide, Designed for iOS and Android mobile devices, the Benefitplace. What You Need To Know About Section 504 A Guide for Parents. Click Here to Change/Reset Your Password Extending the FFCRA COVID leave that covers quarantines through the remainder of the school year is a common-sense move, said Yocum, whose union represents 9,000 Instructional staff, paraeducatorsand clerical personnel. Jason Pitts, the districts chief of staff for the superintendents office, led the budget presentation during the boardsregularly scheduled work session Tuesday. Reports may be made anonymously, but formal disciplinary action may not be based solely on the basis of an anonymous report. Herhusband, whoalso works from home,contracted it firstand hassincerecovered.