Meet Polk County Public Schools New Superintendent

POLK COUNTY, FL — A new superintendent for Polk County Public Schools was selected Tuesday night by the county school board.

Frederick R. Heid was chosen among five remaining finalists. Heid has worked as the superintendent of the Community Unit School District in Algonquin, Illinois, for the past seven years. Prior to his position in Illinois, he worked as a chief academic officer at Duval County Public Schools in Jacksonville. He was employed in Tallahassee by the Florida Department of Education from 2010 to 2012, and he served as the principal for Liberty Middle School in Orlando from 2006 to 2009. Booker Middle School in Sarasota is where he first got his start as a teacher during July 1999.

Heidi has a Doctor of Philosophy in Leadership in Education Administration from Capella University. In 1999, he received his Bachelor of Science degree from the University of South Florida. He also earned a Master of Arts degree at the University of South Florida.

The search for a new superintendent began last year when Jacqueline M. Byrd put in her resignation after experiencing conflicts with other school board members. Committee members who were involved in the selection process reviewed more than 50 applications that were submitted during the search process.

The next step is determining the amount of Heid's salary. His contract is expected to be finalized by May 11, according to the school board.