Polk State prioritizes Haines City Campus for 2023 Legislative Session

Angela Garcia Falconetti
Updated ·2 min read
Angela Garcia Falconetti
Angela Garcia Falconetti

Polk State College students, employees, and leadership continue to advocate for the development of the Haines City Campus. Polk State is focused on three priorities for the 2023 Legislative Session:

  • Expanding access to higher education in Northeast Polk County. The College is requesting $16.2 million in Public Education Capital Outlay (PECO) funds to complete the development and construction of Phase I of the Polk State Haines City Campus.

  • Expanding critical teacher training programs. The College is seeking $1.5 million in nonrecurring funds and $500,000 in recurring operational support to expand its education baccalaureate programs and teacher retention initiatives.

  • Modernizing critical academic and workforce facilities on the Lakeland Campus. The College is requesting $12.28 million in PECO funds for renovations to a 78,000-square-foot classroom, office, and academic services building.

Representatives from Polk State’s Student Government Associations met with members of the Polk County Legislative Delegation in Tallahassee in February to share the College’s priorities. Their visits included Senator Colleen Burton, Representative Jennifer Canady, Representative Sam Killebrew, and Representative Josie Tomkow.

Josh Starr, an SGA representative pursuing a Polk State Bachelor of Applied Science in Supervision and Management with a concentration in Public Administration, echoed Polk State’s mission and priorities which include expanding access to quality higher education and workforce training for Polk County residents. He shared that, “Education is something that should be universal. Education has the potential to change lives and we shouldn’t exclude anyone or any region. If building a campus in Northeast Polk County will allow more students to access education, then that should be a priority.”

Within a 10-mile radius of the Haines City Campus site, there are more than 80,000 residents whose highest educational attainment is a high school diploma or some college, but no degree. Additionally, this area is projected to have nearly 17,000 new jobs in the next decade.

Polk State received $13.8 million during the 2022 Legislative Session to begin phase one of construction of the new campus on U.S. 27 adjacent from AdventHealth Heart of Florida. The additional funds will allow for the completion of the first phase of development.

Divya Patel, an SGA representative pursuing a BAS with a concentration in Healthcare Administration, expressed thanks to the legislators for their support of Polk State’s students and expansion. She said, “I learned a lot by talking to the legislators and telling them about my experience at Polk State. We were able to discuss how Polk State’s priorities are based on the needs of the community and how the College continues to support the needs of Polk County.”

Polk State College is grateful to the members of the Polk County Legislative Delegation for their time and commitment to Polk State’s students, and for keeping quality higher education and workforce training at the forefront this legislative season.

Dr. Angela Garcia Falconetti is President of Polk State College.

This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Polk State prioritizes Haines City Campus for 2023 Legislative Session