After his presentation, several School Board members wanted more information or called for legislative action on seeing the outlook for its next spending plan. 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! If the action is within the scope of the District, District procedures for bullying and/or harassment shall be followed. Instruction regarding bullying, harassment, and the District's violence prevention and school safety efforts shall be integrated into District curriculum at the appropriate grade levels. I need to reset my password. Notification shall be by telephone or by personal conference and/or in writing and shall be consistent with the student privacy rights under applicable provisions of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act of 1974 (FERPA). 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. Use the Password Reset Tool to reset your password now. Online resources and services for students! 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. Complaints against the principal should be filed with the regional assistant superintendent assigned to the school. You can search, save, and share with ease. Use your county credentials or email to log in. The Polk Schools Staff Portal The Staff Portal is where you can update your address & phone number, view remuneration statements, tax information, and more! MetaSearch is intended for research, information and reference purposes only. Quick access to forms, resources, and information. 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. Log In Username: Password: Forgot password? The highest level of confidentiality possible shall be provided regarding the submission of a complaint or a report of bullying and/or harassment and for the investigative procedures that are employed. If a bullying (including cyberbullying) and/or harassment incident occurs it will be reported in SESIR, coded appropriately using the relevant incident code and the related element code. The New Polk Schools Staff Portal - Now Mobile Friendly! The Superintendent shall develop a comprehensive plan intended to prevent bullying and harassment and to cultivate the school climate so as to appropriately identify, report, investigate, and respond to situations of bullying and harassment as they may occur on school grounds, at school-sponsored events, and through school computer networks. District Office:1915 South Floral Ave., Bartow, FL 33830, 2022 Polk County Public Schools | Equity & Compliance | About | Sitemap. The Superintendent may authorize additional instructional programs or activities not previously listed within this policy on a case-by-case basis. 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. There are also 145 school resource officers and guardians; and district support personnel of 1,595. The training and instruction shall include recognizing behaviors that lead to bullying and harassment and taking appropriate preventative action based on those observations. Growth: As development comes to Lake Wales, some residents worry about changes to quality of life. Your principal has materials for you to certify that you have viewed the training video and have taught the required lesson for your grade level, but there are lots of other materials on the website if you want to explore the topic further with your students. The bulk of the current general fund budget goes toward salaries and benefits at $625 million. School administrators, faculty, staff, and volunteers serve as role models for students and are expected to demonstrate appropriate behavior, treating others with civility and respect, and refusing to tolerate harassment or bullying. Polk County Public Schools strives to reduce its energy footprint. I hereby authorize The School Board of Polk County to initiate credit entries and if necessary, debit entries and adjustments to my account at the above financial institution named. The District expects students to conduct themselves in keeping with their levels of development, maturity, and demonstrated capabilities with a proper regard for the rights and welfare of other students and school staff, the educational purpose underlying all school activities, and the care of school facilities and equipment. Thank you for visiting the official website of the Polk County Department of Education. Use tab to navigate through the menu items. Lakeland, Florida Area. 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. Polk County also has unique challenges having both a rural and urban population as well as being an inland county, Pitts said. Library Media Services recently purchased Cameron's Collection, a mental health and wellness e-book series for secondary students. Using the FPEP formula - often refered to as a "dollars per student" formula - Tedder offered the following example: "If the School Board gets approved to spend $3,500 per student and the number of students is 135,000 they would need to generate $437,500,000," he said. 1915 South Floral Ave. | Bartow, FL 33830 | 863-534-0500. I know my password and it has not expired. Search results are not intended as legal advice for you or your organization and are not a substitute for obtaining legal advice from a qualified attorney in your jurisdiction. Visit our official YouTube channel and subscribe to be alerted when streaming is active. Florida spending $9,980 per student and pays teachers an average salary of$49,583. Polk County Board of Education meetings are held at 6:30 PM on the second Monday of each month. 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. The standards for student behavior shall be set cooperatively through interaction among students, parents/guardians, staff, and community member, producing an atmosphere that encourages students to grow in self-discipline. In a separate section, the District shall include each alleged incident of bullying or harassment that does not meet the criteria of a prohibited act under this policy with recommendations regarding such incidents. Camerons Collection can also be accessed through ClassLink, the Gale GVLR site, or each schools Destiny homepage. That's when homeowners will find out what to expect to pay in local property taxes. 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. Individuals who are interested in addressing the School Board on a particular issue must register in person, at the meeting location, starting 30 minutes prior to the meeting. The District shall provide for appropriate recognition and positive reinforcement for good conduct, self-discipline, good citizenship, and academic success. 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. Another disadvantage to public schools across the state is a Florida law imposing millage rollbacks on school districts, Pitts said. 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. 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. 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. Coastal counties tend to have higher real estate values and their local property taxes generate more revenues for education. The total adopted Polk County Schools budget was $2.35 billion this year. Employees of Polk County Schools who are unable to access this folder, please email Laura Barnett, lbarnett@polkcountyschools.com. MLK Day: Events celebrating legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. planned in Lakeland. The principal/assistant principal or District will make a determination if an act of bullying or harassment falls within the scope of District authority. This review process shall be conducted not less than every three (3) years thereafter. Is the 10 days no longer a thing? About 300 teachersinPolk County,bothpublic and private, have contracted COVID-19 betweenSept.6 and April3,according to records with the FloridaDepartment of Health. All complaints about bullying and/or harassment that may violate this policy shall be promptly investigated by the principal or assistant principal, who is trained in investigative procedures. We worked over the last two years as our union to try to be more collaborativewith the district, Yocum said. Mrs. Blackman earned a Bachelor's degree from Florida A & M University and a Master's degree from Nova Southeastern University. If you have forgotten your Polk County Schools password click here. ; Bullying Information on identifying and reporting bullying. Latest: At least 16 Polk County Public Schools teachers, staff have died of COVID-19 since the start of school, By the way: Polk County School District details plans for $202M in relief funds. The 2022 open enrollment period will be October 17-29, and employees of Polk County Public Schools will need to manage their benefits using Benefitplace. 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.". 88 0 obj <>/Filter/FlateDecode/ID[]/Index[68 36]/Info 67 0 R/Length 103/Prev 529646/Root 69 0 R/Size 104/Type/XRef/W[1 3 1]>>stream Using that information, it bases the state's financial contribution to school districts on the number of full-time students the district teaches. The general fund on lastyearsbills had a millage rate of 4.019, andfor the local capital improvement, which was 1.5. There is even a mobile app, so you can access the system from your smartphone or other mobile device. We serve over 7,800 students across eleven schools throughout the Polk County community. Sexual cyberharassment may be a form of sexual harassment. These programs focus on correcting behaviors and developing attitudes and skills that will help students make positive changes in their lives. It is exhausting, but I do feel I will beat it. We ask all members (even if you do not plan to make changes) to login and verify their data and update their life insurance beneficiary information. I know a lot of the paras decide to work for us for little to nothing based on that benefit.. "I know that we have not charged anything to the employees and we have talked about it for a long window of time and we wont needtodo it for the next year or two, but I think at some point,that might change, Fields said. website that is accessible to the widest possible audience, regardless Their adult daughter, Jenna,alsogotsickand has recovered. Learn about how to get $$$ for your education. Charter school monies pass through the district coffers and that is expected to be $128 million for the 2022-2023 fiscal year. Data reporting on bullying, harassment, unsubstantiated bullying, unsubstantiated harassment, sexual harassment, and threat/intimidation incidents, as well as any bullying-related incidents that have as a basis of sex, race, or disability should include the incident basis. Learn the measures were taking to operate more efficiently. View school menus and replenish your accounts. For questions related to your benefits or for assistance with Benefitplace, please contact the PCPS Risk Management and Benefits department. However, we are working with the union on this matter and reviewing available options., More:Polk tops 200 new COVID-19 cases for 3rd-straight day, More:Polk teachers see a pay bump, but no raise for paraeducators or school staff, More:Polk teachers 'just thought it was adisruption.' Ledger reporter Kimberly C. Moore can be reached at kmoore@theledger.com or 863-802-7514. Please select an option from the list and click Start. Discipline and referral data will be recorded in Student Discipline/Referral Action Report and Automated Student Information System. 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. "Bullying" means systematically and chronically inflicting physical hurt or psychological distress on one (1) or more students or employees. "That's something that is really alarming to me.". Capital is needed for the district's wish list of building projects that could add 10 more schools and multiple remodeling projects by 2041 in order to relieve already overcrowded schools and accommodate the endless waves of families with school-aged children moving to Polk County. The Staff Portal is where you can update your address & phone number, view remuneration statements, tax information, and more! "We have the issues when it comes to transportation costs but we don't have the advantages of some of those larger districts' coastal property taxes and things like that," he said, giving one example of a financial disadvantage that Polk County faces. Eligible employees who worked one day more than half the 2020-21 contract year will advance one salary level. Click Here to Change/Reset Your Password We are very proud of our students, our schools, and our communities. Click the icon to log in to ourdistrict applications.