PCPS Back-to-School Updates

Dear families,

It’s hard to believe, but the first day of school is coming up soon on Aug. 10!

I hope that you and your loved ones had a great summer break.

For our students and families, please know that we missed you, and we’re all excitedly awaiting your return. If you and your child are new to Polk County Public Schools, let me be the first to welcome you.

As we get ready to go back into the classroom, I’ve got some important news and information to share. Click on any of the following topics for information:

• There are new safety measures in place for our campuses. Middle and high schools will conduct random searches of students for weapons and other dangerous items. In addition, there are stricter penalties for students who make threats.
• We have a new online tool that allows parents and guardians to control what books their children can access in their school’s library.
• As a reminder, we must continue to follow important protocols to reduce the spread of illness – especially since COVID-19 variants continue to impact our community, and we’re moving into cold and flu season.
• This year, a major priority will be reducing excessive absences. PCPS will be partnering with our parents and guardians to identify why their children are not attending school, and develop strategies to improve their attendance.
• As we prepare for a new school year, let’s also take a look back at our progress in 2021-2022. We saw significant improvement in student and school-level performance, but there is still much more work to be done.
• We all get a little anxious with the start of another school year. To help, we’ve included some useful online resources and telephone numbers to address common questions that you may have.

I know this is a rather long update, but I appreciate your patience. We’ve been working hard to get everything ready for classes to resume. We look forward to seeing everyone on Aug. 10!

Sincerely,

Fred Heid

Superintendent

Polk County Public Schools