Polk Middle School Rezoning: Last Town Hall Is Nov. 12 In Lakeland, With A Virtual Session That Night
Current middle school students already enrolled in a Polk County middle school won’t have to change schools under the attendance-boundary options the school district is considering. Families have one town hall meeting left to review the maps before the School Board adopts them. They can also opt to watch the virtual sessions on the Polk County Public Schools YouTube channel.
The last in-person session is Thursday, Nov. 12, from 6 to 7 p.m. in the theater at Harrison School for the Arts on Hollingsworth Road in Lakeland. It covers the northwest region: Kathleen Middle, Lake Gibson Middle, Sleepy Hill Middle, and Southwest Middle.
Four regional sessions have already been held. The series stopped at Haines City High School on Oct. 15, Bartow High School on Oct. 22, and Lake Region High School in Eagle Lake on Oct. 29. The fourth was at McLaughlin Academy of Excellence in Lake Wales on Nov. 5.
The district is looking at middle school lines because uneven enrollment has some campuses overcrowded and others with open classrooms. High school boundaries were redrawn first in 2025. Nothing has been decided about how the middle school boundaries would change, and the board has not picked a school year for any change to begin.
Students in middle school today or enrolled in districtwide magnet programs and specialized academies can remain in their current school.
Staff will bring the community meeting results and survey responses to a School Board work session Nov. 17. A public hearing will be held at the Dec. 8 board meeting, with no action being taken that night. The board holds a second public hearing at its Jan. 26, 2027, meeting to vote, request more input, or ask for a revised proposal.
Families can search their own address on the district’s online boundary map: Here.
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Frequently Asked Questions
When is the last Polk County middle school rezoning town hall?
Thursday, Nov. 12, from 6 to 7 p.m. in the Harrison School for the Arts theater in Lakeland. A virtual session for all regions streams on the Polk County Public Schools YouTube channel the same evening.
Will my child have to switch middle schools if Polk County redraws the boundaries?
No. Polk County Public Schools says students already enrolled in middle school will not be required to change schools. Students in districtwide magnet programs or specialized academies can stay where they started.
Which Polk County middle schools are part of the rezoning study?
The regional meetings covered Alta Vista K-8, Bella Citta K-8, Boone Middle, Citrus Ridge: A Civics Academy, Lake Marion Creek Middle, Bartow Middle, Fort Meade Middle-Senior High, Lakeland Highlands Middle, Mulberry Middle, Crystal Lake Middle, Denison Middle, Stambaugh Middle, Westwood Middle, Frostproof Middle-Senior High, McLaughlin Academy of Excellence, Kathleen Middle, Lake Gibson Middle, Sleepy Hill Middle and Southwest Middle. The virtual session covers every district middle school.
When would the Polk County School Board vote on middle school rezoning?
A work session is set for Nov. 17 and a public hearing for Dec. 8. A vote could come at the Jan. 26, 2027, board meeting. The board can also send the proposal back for more input or revision instead of voting.
How can I find out which middle school my address would be zoned for?
Polk County Public Schools has posted an online boundary map that allows an address search against the options under study. It is linked from the district’s rezoning announcement.
Sources: “Town Halls Scheduled on Middle School Rezoning Plans,” Polk County Public Schools, polkschoolsfl.com, Oct. 22, 2026.
