The district operates 540 buses and transports more than 51,000 students for a total of 60,670 miles travelled each day. 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. Password Reset Tool. Step - 1: Welcome of technology or ability. The investigator shall document in his/her report the reasons for needing up to an additional ten (10) days. The Polk Schools Staff Portal Information on identifying and reporting bullying. Qvonda.blackman@polk-fl.net Delores Shockley The district has high transportation cost because it covers so much land encompassing more square miles than the state of Rhode Island, Pitts said. Polk County Board of Education meetings are held at 6:30 PM on the second Monday of each month. The issue came up. Implementation of the plan by each principal will be ongoing throughout the school year and will be integrated with the school curriculum, the bullying and prevention program, District disciplinary policies, and violence prevention efforts. The District will utilize Florida's School Environmental Safety Incident Reporting (SESIR) Statewide Report on School Safety and Discipline Data as prescribed. hb``b``*c```w01G30i.F E(|_ PyLsY\&mv e4 The Polk County School District operates 135 schools; 84 elementary schools, 24 middle schools and 17 high schools. Click here for more information Community Resources Polk K12 Parents: Forgot Password? Polk is the second largest employer in the county with about 13,500 employees (excluding substitute teachers). Polk County Public Schools offers many programs for qualified, high-achieving students. Staff Directory Administration. Valuable information and resources for families who are already homeschooling their children or those interested in home education. Polk County Public Schools employs school counselors who provide students with the support they need at each stage of their development. InJanuary, district officials extended the COVID sick leave through March31. through the use of data or computer software that is accessed at a nonschool-related location, activity, function, or program or through the use of technology or an electronic device that is not owned, leased, or used by the District or school, if the bullying substantially interferes with or limits the victim's ability to participate in or benefit from the services, activities, or opportunities offered by the District or school or substantially disrupts the education process or orderly operation of a school. Polk K12 Mar 2013 - Jul 20163 years 5 months. Coronavirus Information A place for current employees a written report by the principal/assistant principal. Polk County School District, Georgia - Polk School District / Homepage Polk County Public Schools offers a variety of programs for children ages 3-5. The training and instruction shall include recognizing behaviors that lead to bullying and harassment and taking appropriate preventative action based on those observations. 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. PCPS provides students with access to a variety of free resources, including eBooks, videos, articles and much more, to conduct research and build literacy skills. %PDF-1.5 % Need Password Help? Since millage rates are set by the state, school boards in Florida have few options for local revenues sources, forcing school districts to cut spending to make ends meet. In addition,all active employees will receive a 2% increase on their current salary level. The instruction shall include evidence-based methods of preventing bullying and harassment, as well as information about how to effectively identify and. ; Bullying Information on identifying and reporting bullying. Access is anonymous. Pitts said the decade-long losses in revenues because of millage rollbacks amounted to nearly $271 million. The School District will respect the privacy of the complainant, the individual(s) against whom the complaint is filed, and the witnesses as much as possible, consistent with the Board's legal obligations to investigate, to take appropriate action, and to conform with any discovery or disclosure obligations. So,ahome valuedat $200,000 afteranyexemptions would pay$1,165.80. Information for planning the next steps of your education and beyond. website that is accessible to the widest possible audience, regardless Each year the tax collector will then certify the taxable value of property in Polk County in July and the state sets the mileage rate the district can assess to determine its local funding amount. Please select an option from the list and click Start. Sara VanHook Principal sara.vanhook@polk-fl.net. ", Students, parents, teachers, school administrators, counseling staff, and school volunteers shall be provided training and instruction, at least annually, on the District's policy and administrative procedures regarding bullying and harassment. Polk County Schools does get special revenues, including title funds, food service and other grants of $188 million, Pitts said. Links to online catalogs, eBooks, and reference and research tools. Another, Kelly Services, provides the district with staff, including substitute teachers. All other members of the school community, including students, parents, volunteers, and visitors, are encouraged to report any act that may be a violation of this policy to the principal or as described above. Students, parents, teachers, school administrators, counseling staff, and school volunteers shall be provided training and instruction, at least annually, on the District's policy and administrative procedures regarding bullying and harassment. The District shall provide a referral procedure for intervening when bullying or harassment is suspected or when a bullying incident is reported. A maximum of ten (10) school days shall be the limit for the initial filing of the incidents and completion of the investigative procedural steps. Please Note: Each step must be completed in less than 20 minutes. The contracts are not necessarily the most expensive items in the budget but they could add up and a review could free up funds needed elsewhere, she said. School Board Vice-Chairwoman Kay Fields thankedthe staff for their work, acknowledging that it did nothappen overnight, and thanking the staff and PEA negotiators for including a provision to renegotiate if there is a fluctuation in funding. Polk County Schools Library Media Services recently purchased Camerons Collection, a mental health and wellness e-book series for secondary students. Lakeland, Florida Area. Forgot My Password. Another disadvantage to public schools across the state is a Florida law imposing millage rollbacks on school districts, Pitts said. myPolkApps - Polk County Public Schools Retaliation against any person who reports, is thought to have reported, files a complaint, or otherwise participates in an investigation or inquiry under this policy is prohibited. Rehabilitation Act. Janie Howard Wilson Elementary; Polk Avenue Elementary School; Edward W. Bok Academy North; Edward W. Bok Academy South; Lake Wales High School; District; Library & Curriculum; Choose Lake Wales! There are also three career centers, five alternative education (Department of Juvenile Justice) facilities, two adult schools and 33 charter schools. Log in using the same username and password you created during the self-registration process. Student Home Links to additional information for students. Reporting an act of bullying or harassment that is not made in good faith is considered retaliation. Our district consists of 3 elementary schools, 1 middle school, 2 high schools, and a virtual learning academy for grades K-12. COVID-19 Testing Sites Available In Polk County You can find COVID-19 testing sites in your area by visiting https://polkschoolsfl.com/healthinformation/ to view a list of Polk testing sites provided by the Florida Department of Health. 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. That's an importantpoint for many of the boardmembersits part of the recruitment we have for staff, Miller said. We are very proud of our students, our schools, and our communities. Staff Portal In accordance with State law, District staff may monitor as part of any bullying or harassment investigation any non-school-related activity, function, or program. The Staff Portal has been redesigned to be easier to use on a large variety of devices. Polk County also has unique challenges having both a rural and urban population as well as being an inland county, Pitts said. These programs focus on correcting behaviors and developing attitudes and skills that will help students make positive changes in their lives. This did elapse, according to the memorandum of understanding with the Polk Education Association, PCPSspokesman Jason Geary said in a statement Friday. acting in a manner that has an effect similar to the effect of bullying or harassment. Such immunity from liability shall not apply to an employee, student, or volunteer determined to have made an intentionally false report about harassment, intimidation, and/or bullying. As for Wools, she was in the emergency room on Thursday with worsening symptoms COVID pneumonia. The principal shall report the occurrence of an incident of suspected bullying as defined by District policy to the parent/guardian of all students known to be involved in the incident on the same day an investigation of the incident has been initiated. Ledger reporter Kimberly C. Moore can be reached at kmoore@theledger.com or 863-802-7514. About 300 teachersinPolk County,bothpublic and private, have contracted COVID-19 betweenSept.6 and April3,according to records with the FloridaDepartment of Health. Jason Pitts, the districts chief of staff for the superintendents office, led the budget presentation during the boardsregularly scheduled work session Tuesday. ; College and Career Readiness Information for planning the next steps of your education and beyond. Online resources and services for students! You can search, save, and share with ease. Quick access to forms, resources, and information. Access is anonymous. Check your childs grades, attendance, and more. I have forgotten my password and security questions. InAugust, the district implemented paid sick leave specifically for COVID through the Families First Coronavirus Response Act, which uses the federal funding to pay the sick leave salary, among many things. Our district consists of 3 elementary schools, 1 middle school, 2 high schools, and a virtual learning academy for grades K-12. The state and federal government also contributes roughly47% and 9% respectively (based on National Center for Education Statistics) to complete the majority of a school districts funding sources each year, Education Week reported. 2022 Polk County Public Schools | Equity & Compliance | About the District | Style Guide, Designed for iOS and Android mobile devices, the Benefitplace. hmo0w>?HS%eZHFPA6u~wNMQ $ YFm{0D1JR K"XfF6ED#Fshb. Learn about how to get $$$ for your education. 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. Camerons Collection can also be accessed through ClassLink, the Gale GVLR site, or each schools Destiny homepage. The Polk Schools Staff Portal Learn about the many ways were protecting our students. Search the Destiny library catalog, find online resources and learn how parents can give input on library materials. 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 and approved . View state and district assessments by grade level, including tips on preparing for exams. But she warned that the health plan might not be free to employees for long. . Polk tops 200 new COVID-19 cases for 3rd-straight day, Polk teachers see a pay bump, but no raise for paraeducators or school staff, Polk teachers 'just thought it was adisruption.' After his presentation, several School Board members wanted more information or called for legislative action on seeing the outlook for its next spending plan. The Superintendent will also provide such notification to all District contractors. Yocum said in a text message that the teachersunion has been in talks with PCPS Associate Superintendent for Human ResourcesTeddra Porteous about the extension. This review process shall be conducted not less than every three (3) years thereafter. For property taxes, the Polk County School Board has two-line items on the property tax bill, the general fund and local capital improvement, said Joe Tedder, Polk County Tax Collector. He added the state lottery provides funding that amounts to five days of the districts operations. If the bullying incident results in the perpetrator being charged with a crime, the principal shall inform by first class mail or by telephone the parent/guardian of the identified victim(s) involved in the bullying incident about the Unsafe Schools Choice Option, Title IX, Part E, Subpart 2, Section 9532) that states, in pertinent part, as follows: ".a student attending a persistently dangerous public elementary school or secondary school, as determined by the State in consultationwith a representative sample of local educational agencies, or who becomes a victim of a violent criminal offense, as determined by State law, while in or on the grounds of a public elementary school or secondary school that the student attends, be allowed to attend a safe public elementary school or secondary school within the local educational agency, including a public charter school.". Information on immunizations, medication administration, and head lice. School Board Member Justin Sharpless wanted something done to improve revenues. Polk County Public Schools serves at-risk students through various alternative education programs. It is defined as any unwanted and repeated written, verbal, emotional (relational), sexual aggression, cyberbullying, or physical behavior, including any offensive, threatening, insulting, or dehumanizing gesture, by an adult or student, that is severe or pervasive enough to create an intimidating, hostile, or offensive educational environment; cause discomfort or humiliation; or unreasonably interfere with the individual's school performance or participation; and may involve: "Harassment" means any threatening, insulting, or dehumanizing gesture, use of data or computer software, or written, verbal or physical conduct directed against a student or school employee that: places a student or school employee in reasonable fear of harm to his/her person or damage to his/her property; has the effect of interfering with a student's educational performance, opportunities, or benefits; or. endstream endobj 69 0 obj <>/Metadata 2 0 R/Pages 66 0 R/StructTreeRoot 6 0 R/Type/Catalog>> endobj 70 0 obj <>/MediaBox[0 0 648 792]/Parent 66 0 R/Resources<>/Font<>/ProcSet[/PDF/Text/ImageB/ImageC/ImageI]/XObject<>>>/Rotate 0/StructParents 0/Tabs/S/Type/Page>> endobj 71 0 obj <>stream Information for vendors and potential business partners, including purchasing and construction bids. 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. You can visit the Password Reset Tool to reset your district password. Holly Arnaud - High School Counselor - Polk State College - LinkedIn