POLK COUNTY, Fla. — More than 116,000 students arrived in cars, buses and on foot Wednesday morning to school campuses across Polk County for the first day of school.
“Teachers, administrators and everybody else in between we focus and prepare throughout the summer this day,” said Polk County Public Schools Superintendent Frederick Heid.
Heid said the 6,000 more enrolled students is reflective of the rapid growth of Polk County.
The first day of school was also the first day that McLaughlin Middle School & Fine Arts Academy in Lake Wales welcomed its first class of ninth graders. This begins its gradual expansion into a middle-high school.
“You want to do it in small chunks so that we can have opportunities to hire on new bus drivers to transport the kids, new teachers. If we rush right into we would put ourselves more at a step back versus a step up,” said Dr. Debra Wright Hudson, Principal at McLaughlin.
New this school year, middle and high school students in Polk County will have to go through a new security check.
“We have added this year random searches. It is important to us and it is not a reaction. We kind of had a similar number of weapons and inappropriately located on our campuses each year. But I believe as a school system more and more, we have to show that we’re being reflective,” Heid said.
Also being implemented this year is an opt-out policy, where parents can opt out of any book at their child’s school library.
“All of our school sites have a link where parents can see comprehensively all of the titles. And they can opt-out of any title that they don’t align to,” Heid said.
This year Polk County Public Schools is adding seven truancy officers who will be working to lower the absentee rate. Heid said 51,000 students missed more than 10 days of school last year.
“They will work in tandem with our school psychologists, our social workers and our counselors and they’ll also partner with families. They’ll conduct home visits to find out why is this kid missing so much school,” Heid said.
The superintendent said with COVID restrictions lifted, parents will once again be able to volunteer and get involved on school campuses.
