Over the next five weeks, many Polk County parents will wrestle with a weighty decision — where to send their children to school. The local “school choice application window” opened today and will remain open until Feb. 21.
There is no guarantee of acceptance to any program, but families can enter their students into a lottery for dozens of Polk County Public Schools magnet programs and career academies. Options include agriculture, business management, culinary arts, criminal justice, firefighting, military careers, veterinary science and more.
What is school choice? Most Polk County schools have at least one specialty program. These are clusters of courses that are not offered everywhere, but cater to students with particular interests like engineering, arts or career-based learning. Sometimes, they’re created in schools with extra capacity in the hope that they’ll relieve pressure on overcrowded schools. High school students can graduate with professional certificates qualifying them for jobs in high-wage trades.
“We take a lot of pride in offering many options to parents and students when it comes to their education,” Polk County Public Schools Superintendent Fred Heid has said. “PCPS has programs that support students’ interests as they explore careers and prepare for higher education. Whether it’s a career academy, fine arts, magnet school or a rigorous program like IB and Cambridge, every family can find the right fit for their child.”
School showcases: To help families explore the many options, the school district is hosting four regional school showcases during the application window. There will be a showcase at the Lakeland Square Mall from 4-7 p.m. on Tuesday, Jan. 30. At least 43 schools will have tables with informational brochures and representatives who can answer questions.
Applying: For most programs, applying does not involve filling out any forms. Families just log in to the Parent Portal during the application window. Under each child’s name, there will be a tab for Magnet/Choice programs. Each of the applicable programs will have a drop-down menu where parents can rank their first, second, third and fourth choices.
Lottery selection: Most slots are filled with a computerized random selection lottery system. Exceptions are accelerated high-school programs like International Baccalaureate and Cambridge AICE, which have academic prerequisites, and Harrison School for the Arts, which relies on auditions or portfolios.
Getting in: PCPS has not yet announced exactly when lottery results will be announced, but in past years, families have been notified in mid-March. Students can be accepted or waitlisted. Those who are accepted have 10 days to confirm that they plan to attend. At the end of the 10-day window, any pending acceptances are declined. PCPS holds several additional rounds of lottery drawings until all seats are filled. Some waitlisted students find out in July or August that they have been accepted.
Transportation: Polk County schools are divided into four zones. School bus transportation is provided for magnet school students anywhere in the district. But career academy students can only get bus service to schools within their attendance zone. Outside of the zone, parents are responsible for arranging transportation.
No need to reapply: Students who are already enrolled in a magnet school or career academy do not need to reapply every year. They can remain at that school until it’s time to move on to middle or high school, or until they graduate.
Not part of this process: Polk County families can also choose tuition-free charter schools or get vouchers to attend private schools, but those institutions have their own applications and deadlines. Controlled open enrollment is a separate process that begins in April and allows students to apply to any public community school that has open seats. Applications for early childhood programs like Head Start and VPK are also available in the spring.
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