Polk County Public Schools

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Polk County Public Schools is a school district headquartered in Bartow, Florida, United States.^[1] The district serves Polk County.

Before 1965, Polk County maintained two separate school systems, one for white students, and a separate system for non-white students. In 1963, a group of parents of Black students attempted to have their children admitted to the all-white schools. When their applications were denied by the school board, they filed suit in federal district court. In early 1965, a federal judge ordered the schools to formulate a plan to integrate both students and teachers, and provide equal facilities and programs for all students regardless of race. For 1965, the district instituted a sham desegregation plan. In 1969, after additional adverse federal rulings, the district adopted another plan which also proved to be ineffective at integrating the schools. The schools became substantially integrated by 1994.^[2]

By October 13, 2021, 17 employees died in the COVID-19 pandemic in Florida, with 15 of them having started work for the fall semester.^[3]

In November 2007, four Polk County School Board members interviewed by The Ledger daily newspaper said they would support a resolution advising the Florida Board of Education to revise proposed science standards to include alternative theories to evolution.^[4]

In 2013 the district expelled a 16-year-old girl after her experiment mixing household materials resulted in a small explosion. The student was arrested and charged with possession/discharge of a weapon on school property and discharging a destructive device. Scientists posted tweets condemning the district's response.^[5] Tiffany Madison of the Washington Times argued that the district's punishment reflected American schools becoming "mindless, bureaucratic prisons".^[6]

The district requires all students in Kindergarten through 8th grade to wear school uniforms.^[7]

Polk County Public Schools is one of the largest school districts in the nation, encompassing more than 150 schools and serving more than 100,000 students through both traditional K-12 schools and a variety of other programs.^{[citation needed]}

• Official website