School district's five-year plan calls for adding new schools to accommodate Polk growth

Polk County Public Schools could add more than 10 new schools and undertake remodeling projects to accommodate the large number of new students expected to flock to the county by 2041, according to a district annual plan.

The Capital Planning and Projects plan shows recently completed schools and renovations, as well as projects that are nearly finished - many planned for a ribbon cutting in 2023 and beyond.

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The plan was presented at the Polk School Board’s work session on Tuesday and included information from the district’s Facilities and Operations department.

The document is considered a five-year plan, but its content is dynamic. By Florida statute, it must be updated annually but includes the district’s projected needs to educate students as far out as 20 years from now.

“We look at population projections using in-migration, residential development and the ‘cohort survival methods’ (which adds births and mortality data to the calculation),” said Angela Usher, assistant superintendent of facilities and operations for the school district.

“Based on the population – and population changes – we add capacity projects, we also add modernization projects with the sales tax and also we continue with the major maintenance,” she said, adding modernizations such as air conditioning and heating units that are being replaced were funded through ESSER (Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief).

The ESSER funds were part of the American Rescue Plan passed by Congress in 2020 to better equip school districts for in-person learning and support the well-being of students, teachers and staff during the COVID-19 pandemic, according to the U.S. Department of Education. Florida received a $7 billion award for its portion to distribute to local school districts.

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Some projects on Polk Schools' past years' plans were bumped down the list, Usher said. For one reason, construction bids came in higher than expected but those may move up as market conditions improve. The age and condition of school buildings can also put a modernization ahead of schedule and move other schools down.

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For accomplishments, the plan said phases of upgrades to Bartow High School had been completed with more to come. Mulberry High School also gained an upgrade.

Multiple additions and improvements were cited for parking lots, interior painting, covered walkways, heating and air conditioning replacements, drainage improvements, roof replacements, and additional fire alarm and security infrastructure.

Ongoing projects included the Medulla Elementary School cafeteria, Dennison Middle School gymnasium and covered walkways were being installed at multiple schools, including Winston and Auburndale Central elementary schools. Upgrades to administrative offices at Babson Park Elementary are nearing completion. 

School improvement projects anticipated to be completed in 2023 also included an expansion of the Lakeland Clinic, Lake Wales support services, new air conditioning and windows for the gyn at Lake Gibson Senior High School, the Denison Middle School gymnasium, the Medulla Elementary cafeteria, McLaughlin gymnasium, and the auditorium at Rochelle School of the Arts.

The district plan also calls for five school construction projects next year, which are: Fred G. Garner Elementary School, the Southwest Middle School modernization, New Elementary 21-C, Bella Citta Middle School addition, and a new K-8 school.

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Further, plans call for more modernizations, renovations and additions at the following Elementary schools:

• Elbert

• Lena Vista

• Wahneta

• Lake Alfred

• Floral

• Alta Vista

• Crystal Lake

• Westwood

• Early Learning Centers

The district plans to improve gymnasiums at the following middle schools:

• Lake Gibson

• Lakeland Highlands

• Bartow

• Blake Academy

Other projects include:

• McLaughlin Auditorium

• Spook Hill cafeteria replacement

• James E. Stephens interior remodel

• Lewis Anna Woodbury Elementary dining replacement

• Lake Region High agriculture classroom addition

The district cited revenues at $915,907,342 between 2023 and 2027 for the academic building plan from various sources.

School district property is already owned or negotiations with land developers is ongoing for many of the new schools named in the plan, Usher said.

By 2031, the district projected capacity needs will increase by 8,788 students, the plan said. This could be accomplished with three and a half new elementary schools in total, with two in central Polk County adding 996 classroom seats, one in the northeast at 996 seats and another to be determined for 800 seats.

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Through new construction or additions, the district would need 3,000 chairs for its middle grades and 2,000 more chairs for high schoolers. The location for a new high school needs to be in the northwest corner of the county.

The district projects enrollment at its schools to top 116,755 by 2031. In 20 years, the district will need 10 new schools, the plan said. Projected enrollment increases by 2041 would be 12,449 students.

The numbers within the plan do not include students at charter schools nor homeschooled students.

Following Usher's presentation, School Board Chair Sara Beth Wyatt expressed concern the projected enrollments might need to be higher. 

“I’m really concerned that we’re only thinking it’s only going to be 12,500 because I would be willing to bet a lot that it will be more than that,” she said. “I believe the 6,000 we were up this year, the majority of those were in district-owned schools."

"I think we need to be planning for more is my only concern.” Wyatt said.

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Superintendent Frederick Heid said this school year enrollment is more than 114,000 students and he would double check that number only included district school enrollments.

The Polk County area is ranked in the top fastest-growing regions in the United States. Between July 2020 and July 2021, Polk’s population grew 3.35% by adding 24,287 people. Its population is now 753,520 people, according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

Polk County Public Schools is ranked among one of the 30 largest U.S. districts nationally and it is the 7th largest district in Florida. The district has more than 150 schools.

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

This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Polk school district plans new schools to accommodate county growth