Polk Schools superintendent to hold series of community conversations

Paul Nutcher, The Ledger
·2 min read
Polk County School District Superintendent Frederick Heid will be making stops throughout Polk County for another string of Community Conversations. The events are being coordinated by Polk Vision together with the Polk County Public School's Department of Public Relations and Strategic Partnerships.
Polk County School District Superintendent Frederick Heid will be making stops throughout Polk County for another string of Community Conversations. The events are being coordinated by Polk Vision together with the Polk County Public School's Department of Public Relations and Strategic Partnerships.

Polk County School District Superintendent Frederick Heid will be making stops throughout Polk County for another string of Community Conversations.

The events are being coordinated by Polk Vision together with the Polk County Public School's Department of Public Relations and Strategic Partnerships, said Kim Long, executive director of Polk Vision.

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"Partnering with Polk County Public Schools in the coordination of these forums is an extension of our mission," Long said. "This includes identifying and building awareness of community priorities; the promotion of strategic partnerships; and acknowledging that our residents have a shared responsibility in advancing the quality of life in our community."

Heid called the tour a forum for "candid discussions" to gain feedback from all of the district's stakeholders at the start of the September 2021 tour. He could not be reached for comment this week and district offices were closed due to spring break.

"From my perspective, this is an opportunity for the Polk County community to pull over and check the educational oil," said School Board Member William Allen, "Polk County Public Schools is running on all cylinders."

"This gives Superintendent Heid some time to engage with family and community transparently" he added. "I hope that the first question posed by our community in every session relates to our student outcomes. That's what fuels the great work happening all around the district."

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There are eight scheduled stops on the tour, including two in Lakeland, and a ninth virtual event for the public, parents and other stakeholders to ask questions and gain feedback from Heid.

Each event on the tour starts at 6 p.m. with the following dates and locations were recently published on the district’s website:

  • March 20 – Dream Center of Lakeland, 635 W. 5th St., Lakeland

  • March 22 – Bartow Civic Center, 2250 S. Floral Ave., Bartow

  • March 23 – Auburndale Civic Center, 115 W Park St., Auburndale

  • March 27 – Medulla Resource Center, 1049 Parker Road, Lakeland

  • March 30 – Lake Eva Event Center, 799 Johns Ave., Haines City

  • April 3 – Tom Fellows Community Center, 207 North Boulevard West, Davenport

  • April 17 – AdventHealth Fieldhouse, 210 Cypress Gardens Blvd., Winter Haven

  • April 19 – Gem Theater, 118 NW 1st Ave., Mulberry

  • May 1 – Virtual, Information Coming Soon

Paul Nutcher can be reached at pnutcher@gannett.com.

This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Polk Schools superintendent to host community listening tour