Random Student Searches Planned At Secondary Polk Public Schools

POLK COUNTY, FL — With the start of school on Wednesday, Polk County public school teachers returned to the classroom Monday to decorate bulletin boards, prepare lesson plans and make sure their classrooms are well-stocked for the 2022-23 school year.

Changes children and parents should be aware of include random searches for weapons in the middle and high schools, plus stricter penalties for students who make threats — whether verbal, written or posted on social media — that create anxiety, or tie up staff resources.

On July 12, the Polk County School Board approved new salary agreements and raises for employees represented by the school district’s unions.

The new contract with the Polk Education Association union applies to teachers, paraeducators and clerical personnel with Polk County Public Schools. The new contract with the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees union covers PCPS bus drivers and attendants; custodial, maintenance and vehicle services employees; and school nutrition assistants.

Both agreements have been ratified by members of each union.

2022-23 PEA Salary Agreement

The new starting/minimum salary for PCPS teachers is $47,500, an increase of $2,013 from last year.

• Since 2020, all Florida school districts have received additional funding for teacher salaries, with the requirement that most of the funding be used to boost each district’s starting teacher pay to $47,500, or as close to that amount as possible.
• Salaries for all other PCPS teachers will increase by at least 2.25 percent.
• PCPS’ most experienced teachers (those at the top of the salary schedule) will earn $65,850 per year, an increase of $1,568.
• Degree supplements are now $3,162 for master’s degrees (a gain of $491), $4,517 for specialist degrees (up $809) and $6,776 for doctoral degrees (up $1,778).
• All PCPS instructional employees represented by PEA will again receive $1,000 after taxes through Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) supplements.
• Paraeducators and clerical personnel will receive a salary increase of at least 3 percent.

Full document summary available here.

2022-23 AFSCME Salary Agreement

• The starting pay for PCPS drivers will increase to $16.25 per hour, up from $14.50 previously.
• Drivers at other salary levels will see a pay increase of at least $1.75 per hour.
• All AFSCME employees other than bus drivers will receive at least $15 per hour. Those who were already making $15 per hour or more will receive an hourly raise of at least $1.75.

Full document summary available here.

School Safety And Security

Students returning to school in Polk County Wednesday may notice a few changes intended to keep campuses safer and more secure.

"One new security measure will be implemented this year for students attending secondary schools," Superintendent Fred Heid said. "Beginning Wednesday, middle and high schools will regularly conduct random searches of students for weapons and other dangerous items prohibited by the district's code of conduct. We must deploy every reasonable option to ensure our campuses are safe, and random screenings are a common deterrent used by other school districts."

Over the summer, the school district worked closely with the Polk County Sheriff’s Office to train administrative staff, and to ensure that all schools have the necessary resources to support this initiative, Heid said.

Here are some key points about the screenings:

• All screenings are done randomly.
• Schools will vary the screening location on campus, the time when the screening takes place and the frequency of a screening. For instance, a school might select every fifth student who enters the main building upon arrival in the morning.
• School and district staff will conduct the screenings.
• Law enforcement will not conduct the screenings, but will be present should dangerous or illegal items be found.
• Screening involves the use of a metal detector wand.
• Bags and purses are also subject to screening.
• Schools will send out an automated telephone call to let families know when a random screening was conducted on campus.
• Students cannot refuse to be screened; refusal may result in disciplinary action.

"The district is also taking another step to stop students from making threats of violence against classmates, teachers, staff or schools in general by initiating stricter penalties to deter students from making careless threats that create unnecessary fear and anxiety, as well as waste the time of school staff and law enforcement officers," Heid said.

As such, Heid said any student who makes such threats – whether verbal, written or posted on social media — will immediately be suspended, and students could also face expulsion from school and placement in an alternative education program.

The school district will continue to work closely with law enforcement to investigate every incident thoroughly, which can lead to criminal charges, he added.

"We must take every threat seriously," Heid said. "It doesn’t matter if a student is joking or simply making an outburst. Please speak with your children and reinforce that this type of behavior is unacceptable, and carries serious consequences."

To further secure campuses, fencing has been placed on school campuses identifying boundaries between public and private spaces. Fencing is also being used to define the edge of the campus and guide or direct visitors to the main entrance of the school for check-in.

Over the years, the school district has made a number of other improvements to its security system, including:

• All schools have security cameras throughout their campuses.
• All schools are secured daily to prevent trespassers.
• Schools have front door security systems to restrict access to the campus.
• Schools have one or more armed and extensively trained school resource officers (traditional law enforcement officers) or school safety guardians (district employees trained by the Polk County Sheriff’s Office).
• All school have lockdown alert systems.
• School and district staff complete a variety of scenario-based training (e.g., tornado, fire, evacuation, lockdown or act of violence) every year.
• School staff and students conduct safety drills every year to ensure they know what to do in the event of an emergency.
• Students and staff are required to wear their ID badges daily.

The Polk County Sheriff’s Office School Resource Unit is comprised of two sergeants and 19 school resource deputies. The Polk County School Board provides partial funding for these positions, with deputies assigned to eight high schools, eight middle schools and two alternative schools. The School Resource Unit provides services to 42 campuses throughout the county.

The School Resource Unit is responsible for law enforcement services to the public schools in the unincorporated areas of the county. In addition to their regular duties, school resource deputies provide services to 24 elementary schools.

The Gang Resistance Intervention Unit is comprised of one sergeant and eight deputy sheriffs. GRIP is a grant-funded unit focused on educating students on the negative effects of gangs and diverting at-risk students from their gang affiliations.

The school safety guardian is an employee of Polk County Public Schools with extensive training from the Polk County Sheriff’s Office. School safety guardians are based at elementary schools.

Any acts of bullying can be reported online.

Safety To And From School

Two full-time civilian supervisors and eight part-time coordinators, assigned by geographical territories throughout the county, supervise the School Crossing Unit, Heid said.

They oversee approximately 160 part-time school crossing guards and 30 substitute school crossing guards. The members assigned to this unit are responsible for the safety of elementary school-aged children who have to cross major roadways on their way to or from school at the 131 crossing locations.

Library And Media Materials Opt-Out Process

"Polk County Public Schools is committed to empowering parents and guardians to make the decision about whether their children can access these or any other books in their school library," Heid said.

As such, the school system has developed a new online tool that allows parents and guardians to control what books and media materials their children can access in their school’s library.

"School districts in Florida and nationwide have received challenges questioning whether some library books’ content is inappropriate for students," Heid said.

Earlier this year, the school district was asked to review 16 books and developed a process to thoroughly evaluate each book, he said.

Two book review committees were created to make recommendations about whether the books should be retained and, if so, what grade level was appropriate. Committee members represented educators, community stakeholders, mental health experts, parents and even high school students.

The committee members read each book and held meetings to discuss them. In the end, the committees recommended that all books be retained with some slight changes to their grade-level/school-level placement.

The Library and Media Materials Opt-Out Process was created over the summer and gives parents and guardians a convenient way to see a list of all materials available through their child’s school library, and they can “opt out” of any books that they find objectionable.

For opt-out instructions, watch the video tutorial outlining this new tool.

"The opt-out feature ensures that your child does not have access to any materials that you find objectionable," Heid said.

• Parents and guardians will have two opportunities each year to complete the opt-out process. One opportunity takes place in August, and the other takes place in December.
• If this process is not completed by the specified date, the system will default to allowing your child to have access to all media materials at their school.
• If a student changes schools or is newly enrolled into the school district, their parents and guardians will have 10 business day (14 calendar days) to make their opt-out selections.
• Parents and guardians should contact their school’s media staff or school administrators for any additional assistance.
• Only custodial parents can complete the opt-out. If a parent has custodial rights and cannot see the book list, they will need to contact the school’s terminal operator for assistance linking their account.

COVID-19 Policies

Variants of the COVID-19 virus continue to impact the community. To help promote a clean environment for learning, the school district has:

• Air purification devices in all classrooms and offices.
• Hand sanitizer in classrooms and sanitizer stations in buildings.
• High-touch area cleaning/sanitizing throughout the day.
• Ultraviolet filtration systems (installation began in pre-k and elementary classrooms this summer).
• Touchless water fountains (installation began this summer).
• Reinforcing the importance of personal hygiene (covering mouth when coughing or sneezing, and proper handwashing).

Anyone with COVID-19 or COVID-like symptoms must stay home and return when one of three requirements is met:

• Five days pass from symptom onset, the person is fever-free for 24 hours without medicine and symptoms are improving.
• The person receives a negative test and has no symptoms.
• The person has a doctor’s note to return.

Anyone considered to be a “close contact” is allowed to continue to go to work/school as long as he or she is symptom-free and does not test positive when tested.

Transportation Call Center Open

As of Monday, the Polk County Public Schools’ transportation call center is open.

Parents who have bus-related questions and concerns may call 863-534-7300 from Aug. 8 to Friday, Aug. 26. The temporary call center will be staffed on weekdays from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
(Note: From 11:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m. each day there will be a shift change. Calls will be answered, but hold times could be longer than usual.)

Staff members will be able to provide help with all manner of transportation questions, including student bus numbers, stop times and locations, transportation eligibility and bus delays. Families can also check the Parent Portal for student busing information.

Bus Drivers Needed

Parents should be aware that bus delays are common at the beginning of the school year, as students and drivers settle into their daily routines. The Polk County School District as well as other school districts around the state are also facing an ongoing shortage of drivers, which creates additional workload for existing employees.

Any delays longer than 30 minutes will be posted to here. Parents may also call 863-534-7300 throughout the school year to reach a dispatcher.

The district is always looking to hire bus drivers. Training is provided and pay starts at $16.25 an hour. Benefits include health insurance, free employee health clinics and Florida Retirement System benefits.

For more information, click visit here and go to the link “How to Become a Bus Driver.”

School Attendance

Excessive absences are one of the greatest barriers to academic achievement. Regular school attendance is critical to a student’s success. Students who regularly don’t show up for class miss instruction on fundamental subjects.

One alarming statistic is that more than 51,000 Polk County students missed 10 or more days of school during the 2021-22 school year. Keep in mind that this figure excludes COVID-19-related absences.

The district is asking parents and guardians to help reinforce the importance of good attendance with students. The Polk County School District has hired seven community outreach facilitators who will begin making home visits for those with chronic absenteeism. The district will partner with parents and guardians to identify why the child is not attending school and develop strategies to improve attendance.

School Performance Data

Polk County schools recently received the 2021-22 performance data for students and schools from the Florida Department of Education.

Overall, Polk County saw significant improvement in student and school-level performance as compared to the prior year, said This was discussed extensively at the school board work session on July 26, said Superintendent Fred Heid. Here are some highlights:

Third-Grade Reading Scores:

• PCPS was one of only 11 school districts across the state that saw an improvement in third-grade reading proficiency.
• Thirty-nine PCPS elementary schools — or 56 percent of elementary schools — saw an improvement in the number of students reading at Achievement Level 3 or higher.
• Thirteen schools had a double-digit increase in the number of students reading at Achievement Level 3 or higher.
• Twelve schools saw a 5 to 9 percentage point increase in the number of students reading at Achievement Level 3 or higher.
• Six schools had no change in the students reading at Achievement Level 3 or higher.

Fewer Third-Grade Students Scoring At Level 1:

• Forty-two PCPS elementary schools — or 61 percent of elementary schools — saw a decline in the number of students reading at Achievement Level 1.
• Thirteen schools had a double-digit decrease in the number of students reading at Achievement Level 1.
• Eleven schools saw a 5 to 9 percentage point decrease in the number of students reading at Achievement Level 1.

School Grades Summary:

• Seven schools earned an A grade — an improvement of four from the prior year.
• Twelve schools earned a B — an improvement of five from the prior year.
• Sixty-three schools earned a C — an improvement of 20 from the prior year.
• The number of D schools was reduced by more than 57 percent, decreasing from 42 schools in 2020-21 to 18 schools in 2021-22.
• The number of F schools was reduced by more than 87.5 percent, dropping from eight schools in 2020-21 to one school in 2o21-22.
• All F schools in 2020-21 improved their grades. Five schools earned a C. Three schools earned a D.
• Three schools improved from a B to an A.
• One school improved from a C to an A.
• Seven schools improved from a C to a B.
• One school improved its grade from a D to a B.
• Thirty schools improved their grades to a C.
• The number of schools earning a D or F declined by more than 62 percent.
• Half of the schools (11 of 20) from 2018-19 under state oversight increased their grades and exited “turnaround” status.

"We all get a little anxious with the start of another school year," Heid said. "to help, we've included some useful online resources and telephone numbers to address common questions that parents may have."