Important Message:

Public schools in Polk County are expected to reopen for students on Tuesday, Sept. 19. Previously, it was announced that schools would reopen for students on Monday, Sept. 18. However, due to continued power outages and ongoing work to repair schools following Hurricane Irma, students will now return on Tuesday, Sept. 19. Buses are expected to also resume operations on Sept. 19. Please check your school’s website to see if there have been any changes to sports schedules or other activities. Please be advised that this decision to resume operations is not binding upon charter and private schools. Those schools should be contacted directly for more information. The teacher work day has been moved back to its originally scheduled date, Monday, Sept. 18. On Monday, Sept. 18, teachers, school-based administrators, district staff and all others who normally work on teacher work day will report to work as normal. Paras will return to school on Tuesday, Sept. 19. A number of departments, including maintenance, custodial services, school nutrition, and information technology, are already back at work, preparing our schools for reopening. Supervisors in these departments will continue to communicate with their employees about when and where they should report. The Sept. 19 work session has also be canceled. Click here for Hurricane Irma Updates

Important Message:

Due to widespread power outages and school sites that are serving as shelters, Polk County public schools will remain closed until Monday, Sept. 18. Friday, Sept. 15, is tentatively planned to be treated as a teacher workday. This means district staff, teachers and anyone else who normally works on teacher work days should report to work. Students and paras will return on Monday, Sept. 18. However, we are still assessing damage and there are still widespread power outages across the county. A follow-up communication will be sent on Thursday. As of now, we plan on treating Friday, Sept. 15, as a teacher work day and welcoming our students back to class on Monday, Sept. 18. Buses are expected to also resume operations on Monday, Sept. 18. Please check your school’s website to see if there have been any changes to sports schedules or other activities. Please be advised that this decision to resume operations is not binding upon charter and private schools. Those schools should be contacted directly for more information. Thank you for your patience as we recover from the storm.

Polk County Public Schools Will be Closed Due to Hurricane Irma on Friday, Sept. 8.

September 6, 2017

Public schools and district offices in Polk County will be closed on Friday, Sept. 8, 2017 in response to Hurricane Irma.

These closings, made in collaboration with Polk County Emergency Management personnel, will provide residents with time to make preparations. District staff must also work with emergency personnel to prepare some of our schools to serve as shelters for those directly impacted by Hurricane Irma.

Please be advised that the decision to close is not binding upon charter and private schools. Those schools should be contacted directly for more information.

Again, public schools and district offices in Polk County will be closed on Friday, Sept. 8. In addition, school absences will be excused for Thursday, Sept. 7. We will continue to monitor news and weather reports before announcing any additional closures.

We know that the decision as to whether to close our schools and offices has a huge impact on the plans and lives of our students and employees as well as their families. We appreciate their understanding and patience. We will continue to monitor weather conditions as they develop and remain in contact with Polk County emergency personnel.

Polk County Public Schools will provide updates on the reopening of schools and offices using the automated telephone calling system for parents and guardians, as well as the district’s website and social media (Facebook and Twitter). Local media will also be notified.

Due to an expected high level of phone calls to the district office, please refer first to our website and social media accounts for updates.

Pertinent links:

Polk County Public Schools webpage: http://www.polk-fl.net/

Facebook:   https://www.facebook.com/polkcountypublicschools/

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/PolkSchoolsNews

Additional Schedule and Event Changes:

http://www.polk-fl.net/news/newsreleases/hurricaneupdates.htm