Polk County Schools Offers 2 Learning Options For New School Year

POLK COUNTY, FL — Learning options have slightly changed for the 2021-2022 school year for Polk County Public Schools students compared to last year.

Instead of having three options for parents and their children to choose from, Polk County Public Schools has narrowed it down to two choices, eliminating the Campus eSchool, an online program that was in place last year for students who wanted to limit their chances of testing positive for the coronavirus by learning from home. For this school year, the first option will be campus learning with face-to-fact instruction, and the second option will be Polk Virtual School, the district's longstanding program that allows students to take online lessons. Students have flexibility in their daily work schedule and may work at an accelerated pace, so time management and self-motivation are essential for success. The deadline to apply for Polk Virtual is July 23. For more information about Polk Virtual and how to enroll, visit pvs.polkschoolsfl.com.

“The goal has been to get students back into the classroom because there really is no substitute for face-to-face instruction,” Superintendent Frederick Heid said. “Many students struggled to adapt to an online setting and didn’t have access to the full range of supports and resources available at school.”

Face coverings will be optional for students and staff members for the upcoming school year. Those who have not been vaccinated are encouraged to wear masks, PCPS said. There is also no requirement for students, employees, or their families to be vaccinated.

Once the new school year is underway, anyone fully vaccinated will not be required to self-isolate if they are determined to be a close contact to someone who tests positive for COVID-19, according to the Florida Department of Health.

PCPS is exploring learning options for students who are required to quarantine, the school board said. COVID-19 protocols will be in place at the campuses.

“We want to limit disruptions to the learning process as much as possible,” Heid said. “Hopefully, quarantines will be less frequent this year. But we simply don’t know, and we are looking at options for how to keep students actively learning until they can return to the classroom.”

PCPS will release additional back-to-school information in the near future. Please continue to check the district's website, (polkschoolsfl.com), and social media for updates. The first day of school for students is Aug. 10.