Latest news with #PolkCountySchools
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- General
- Yahoo
After 3 years with a C grade, Polk County school district improves to a B
After three straight years with a C grade, Polk County Public Schools improved its grade from to a B in the 2024-25 academic year, according to a report released July 7 by the Florida Department of Education. In the 2023-24 school year, the district fell one percentage point shy of a B grade. This year, it was one percentage point above the baseline needed for a B, scoring 58% of the total possible points. 'This is an outstanding accomplishment for our schools,' Superintendent Fred Heid said in prepared statement. 'We've been making steady progress every year, thanks to the unwavering dedication of our students, teachers and staff. This is why we always tell our kids that hard work pays off.' School grades incorporate up to 12 components, with five based on achievement in English/language arts, math, science and social studies. The state also measures overall learning gains, gains of the lowest 25% of students, middle school acceleration, graduation rate and college and career acceleration, the report said. Each component counts for up to 100 points in the overall calculation. The points are added, and then the total is divided by the maximum number of possible points to determine the percentage earned. Among Polk Public Schools, 14 improved their grades from the previous year. Two improved from an A to a B: Jewett School of the Arts and Winston Academy of Engineering. Five improved from a D to a C: Crystal Lake Elementary, Stambaugh Middle School, McLaughlin Academy of Excellence and Auburndale and Kathleen high schools. In February, the district received a one-year extension from the state to bring Crystal Lake Elementary's grade up to a C and avoid closure. Prior to this year's grade, the school was rated D for four years running. When a school receives either an F score or two consecutive Ds, the district must create a plan for improvement. A school that improves to a C is not required to continue with the turnaround plan but is monitored for three years, according to the Department of Education. See how your school did: View complete scores for all Polk County schools The state report listed charter schools, as well, which aren't run by the public school district. Among those, three improved their grades this year: Cypress Junction Montessori, from a C to a B; Hartridge Academy, from a B to an A; and Navigator Academy of Leadership, from a C to a B. Nineteen Polk public schools saw their grades fall in 2024-25. Three of those fell from a C grade in 2023-24 to a D grade now: Dixieland Elementary, Eagle Lake Elementary and Kathleen Middle School. Three schools fell more than one letter grade, from an A to a C: Chain of Lakes Elementary, Oscar J. Pope Elementary and Scott Lake Elementary. Among the charter schools in the report, Edward W. Bok Academy North fell from a B to a C. For the third consecutive year, no schools run by the Polk district received an F grade, and the district continued to lower the number of schools rated D. Five schools received D grades this year, compared with seven in 2023-24 and 12 in in 2022-23. Polk County public school students improved in 24 of 36 categories on the Florida Assessment of Student Thinking tests in 2024-25, according to results released by the FDOE in late June. The tests cover nine academic subjects and levels: English language arts, algebra 1, algebra 2, civics, U.S. history, biology, mathematics, geometry and science. A higher percentage of students passed in seven of eight grade-level categories for English language arts, the state report showed. In math, Polk students showed gains in three of four categories and in three of six grade levels for algebra 1. Polk County recorded higher passing rates in all four grades for U.S. history and one of two grades for civics. One of two grade levels improved for science, while Polk County had higher passing rates in four of five grades for biology 1. 'We're very pleased with this year's results, but we're not yet satisfied. We'll use this momentum to keep improving,' Heid said. 'With that said, our community deserves to celebrate. So many people have played a role in this great achievement: students, teachers, staff, parents, guardians and volunteers. I'm incredibly grateful for their commitment, and so very proud to be part of Polk County Public Schools.' Information from previous reporting by The Ledger's Gary White was used in this report. This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Polk County Public Schools improves overall grade to a B
Yahoo
31-01-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Polk County Schools moving to virtual learning Friday over flu and norovirus spike
The Brief Polk County Schools are shifting to virtual learning while the district deals with a spike in flu and norovirus cases. The county says that more than 10% of the student population at each of its schools is sick from the flu or norovirus. The district is going to use the virtual day to do a deep cleaning of its school buildings. POLK COUNTY, Ga. - Polk County Schools are going virtual on Friday while the district deals with an outbreak of cases of norovirus and the flu. County officials say all schools and facilities will be closed to allow for deep cleaning of buildings and help those affected have more time to recover. By the numbers Authorities say they have seen "excessive student and staff absences" due to the illnesses. As of Friday morning, Polk County reports 761 students and 63 staff members are sick - 10% or more of the student population at each school. What they're saying "This decision is not made lightly and as always we will continue to prioritize the health and safety of our students, staff, and community," the Polk School District wrote on Facebook. What's next Extracurricular activities and after-school events will still go on as scheduled. While the schools are closed, officials say all facilities will undergo a "comprehensive deep cleaning" to reduce the spread of the flu and norovirus. Officials are asking families to keep a lookout for possible symptoms in their children and keep sick students at home until they are fever-free and show no symptoms. Big picture view The Atlanta-based Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that at least 16 million illnesses, 190,000 hospitalizations, and 8,300 deaths from flu so far this season. Cases have been rising in January. The CDC estimates that there are about 2,500 reported norovirus outbreaks across the country. Most outbreaks happen from November to April. The virus is responsible for almost 1 million pediatric medical care visits every year. What you can do U.S. health officials recommend that everyone 6 months and older get an annual flu vaccination, and they say it's not too late to get a shot. You should also avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth because germs can spread that way, health officials say. You should also wash your hands with soap and water, clean frequently touched surfaces and avoid close contact with people who are sick. The Source Information for this study came from a Facebook post by the Polk School District, data about the flu and norovirus from the CDC, and additional reporting by the Associated Press.
