Zoning shakeup coming to Polk County high schools. Here’s how you can weigh in

School rezoning plan for Polk County

Parents in Polk County are getting their first look at new proposed school zones. FOX 13?s Matthew McClellan reports.

LAKELAND, Fla. - Polk County Public Schools is launching a series of community town halls to gather feedback on a sweeping rezoning plan that will affect every high school in the district.

What we know:

The first session takes place Thursday at 5:30 p.m. at Bartow High School, focusing on the district's southwest region. According to school officials, the meeting will cover rezoning proposals for Bartow High, Fort Meade Middle-Senior High, George Jenkins High and Mulberry High.

Additional meetings will follow in Lakeland, Winter Haven, Davenport, Lake Wales, and a virtual, district-wide town hall on Oct. 2.

District leaders say the plan is needed to balance enrollment, cut down on overcrowding, and prepare for Polk’s explosive growth. More than 300 new housing developments are already in the pipeline.

"As one of the fastest-growing counties in the United States, Polk is experiencing unprecedented population increases," the district says on a webpage outlining the initiative. "According to a 2025 LendingTree study, the Lakeland-Winter Haven metro area, which encompasses all of Polk County, ranked among the top 10 "boomtowns" in the nation, with an 8.6% increase in population and a 7.6% increase in housing units. This growth directly impacts school enrollment patterns and facility needs."

READ: Florida phases out Certificate of Completion for students with disabilities

Proposed adjustments:

At an Aug. 12 school board workshop, Jennifer Farrell, assistant director of GIS and demography, shared updates to the rezoning draft. She said the district is working to keep apartment complexes and neighborhoods intact rather than split between schools.

"We are still looking to go out in the community, get the community feedback. That's going to help us put together because, at the end of the day, we're looking to put together a plan that we can all be happy with," Farrell told board members.

Adjustments include moving the Lake Lucerne neighborhood entirely into the Haines City High zone, which she said will also help relieve Winter Haven High.

"We did speak with transportation, they're very excited about the idea of us getting this cleaned up... keeping that neighborhood together and making transportation happy," Farrell said.

Other changes under review include tweaks around apartment complexes, Grasslands, and Mine Road Corner, while potential hotel-to-housing conversions remain on the district’s radar.

READ: Church leaders arrested in multi-state money laundering, forced labor investigation

Board concerns:

Some board members pressed for more aggressive changes, especially around the massive Harmony at Lake Eloise development.

"I can’t support us not zoning a new development that is that close to a high school that’s under-enrolled… while we’re leaving a school that is closer to under-enrolled," District 4 representative Sara Beth Wyatt argued.

Timeline:

The district expects to finalize boundaries after community input and board approval. If approved, new attendance zones would take effect for the 2026–27 school year.