Polk County school board approves rezoning for high schools

BARTOW, Fla. - Polk County School Board officials decided to rezone the district's high schools during their meeting Tuesday evening. 

What we know:

The school board unanimously approved the rezoning, meaning all 16 Polk County public high schools could have their boundaries readjusted. 

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What they're saying:

School officials said some schools are overcrowded because of population growth over the last decade, while others are under enrolled, so the change would balance enrollment and maximize resources.

"We are blessed as a county and across the state as it relates to growth," said Dr. William Allen, who represents District 1 on the Polk County School Board. "If you think about that, we want the best educational opportunity for our students. It's all about our students." 

Dig deeper:

The district hosted numerous in-person and virtual town halls to discuss the potential change and to get feedback from the community.

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Officials said rezoning allows the district to plan for growth. However, Polk County Schools Superintendent Fred Heid said it will help accomplish 60-70% of overcrowding, so cap enrollment may have to be considered as an option to also eliminate portable classrooms.

"Unfortunately, when a school hits its enrollment cap, that means a student can only attend the next closest school. We then have an obligation to transport that student, but we're going to have to come up with some other solutions in addition to that for the board to consider, because those are tough decisions that are going to have to be made," said Heid. 

What's next:

Rezoning the middle schools will be considered next, then elementary schools soon thereafter. The district will gather public comment and will host town halls about middle school rezoning, then they'll present those findings to the school board in June. 

Now that it's approved, the rezoning for the high schools would be implemented for the 2026-2027 school year.

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According to the school district, they will not require students currently enrolled in one of their high schools to switch to a different school site. Those students can remain where they have already started their high school academic career. 

They're also developing a policy to address siblings, aiming to keep families together where feasible and practical.