Attendance boundary committee proposes high-school rezoning to ease overcrowding and balance capacity

An attendance boundary committee presentation July 29 outlined proposed rezoning of nearly all Polk County high schools to reduce crowding in some campuses and increase utilization at underused schools.

Committee chair Terry McLemore (attendance boundary committee) and staff presented enrollment snapshots showing several high schools exceeding capacity without portables and projects that a new East‑side high school would relieve pressure on Haines City, Ridge Community and other campuses. The committee’s plan adjusts feeder patterns and zone lines to move students into nearer schools and to better match capacity across the district.

Staff said the board would first review and affirm the committee’s recommendations in workshop, then the district will host in‑person regional town halls and one virtual meeting to collect public feedback. The district also plans an online map tool allowing families to enter addresses and compare current and proposed boundaries. Board members discussed timeline concerns relative to open enrollment and asked for a rapid feedback loop; staff proposed a regional town‑hall cadence with a 5‑day survey window after each meeting and promised to deliver compiled results to the board for consideration.

Board members asked for targeted follow-up on neighborhoods split by a proposed line, and staff asked board members to submit specific map screenshots or questions to staff GIS for response. The superintendent said the board would not forcibly transfer students already attending a school; rezoning would apply to incoming students while families could seek transfers under existing policy.

Ending: Staff will refine maps, publish timeline and host community meetings; the board will receive compiled feedback and vote on final boundaries after public comment.