Polk County Public Schools, with Lakeland as the hub, comprise the eighth largest district in the state of Florida, with more than 92,000 students enrolled. The entire district has 156 school sites including traditional elementary, middle and high schools, magnet and choice schools, charter schools, and technical schools. The district is one of the largest employers in Polk County with more than 11,000 employees. More than 27 percent of Polk County teachers have advanced degrees beyond a bachelor’s degree. Polk’s teachers average 11 years of experience.
The real essence and spirit of the Lakeland primary and secondary school system is the level of community involvement. More than 29,000 volunteers provide over one million hours of service to our schools each year additionally, more than 2,100 local businesses partner with schools in various programs and projects.
Higher education opportunities abound right in Lakeland as well. Florida Southern College, Southeastern University, University of South Florida, Polk Community College, and Warner Southern College all have campuses here.
For technical education programs, Travis Career Center offers up a full selection of courses to satisfy any career choice. Virtually every career field can be pursued locally with the greatest of prestige and credibility.