MULBERRY, Fla. — Polk County Public Schools wants help in naming the new elementary school being built in the Mulberry area.
A naming committee comprised of school, district and community leaders researched the history of the surrounding area. They are proposing two possible names for the school: Poley Bridge Elementary or Willow Oak Elementary.
You can learn more about the history of each name and select your favorite by taking this online survey. Voting closes October 21.
After the poll closes, the naming committee will review the results will be reviewed and take a vote. The selected name will be recommended to the superintendent and then to the Polk County School Board for approval.
The new school is being built at 4815 Bailey Road at a cost of $34 million. It is scheduled to open for the start of the 2021-22 school year.
The 127,000-square-foot school will have enough capacity for 1,000 students.
District officials say the new school will primarly serve students currently attending Kingsford Elementary. It will help relieve overcrowding at James W. Sikes and R. Bruce Wagner elementary schools.
Kingsford, which was built in 1962, has no room left to expand and needs major renovations. Officials say it could be modernized or repurposed once the new school opens.
