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Polk schools pursue Pre-K expansion at vacated McLaughlin site; district to vet providers
Summary
Polk County School Board discussed converting a vacant McLaughlin Middle High facility into an early learning center and directed staff to vet potential provider partners using a rubric presented to the board.
The Polk County School Board on Feb. 11 discussed plans to repurpose a vacated facility on the McLaughlin Middle High campus into a pre-kindergarten site and directed staff to proceed with vetting prospective provider partners.
Superintendent Hyde said the district has evaluated the building and found it has five classrooms with restrooms, a main office, clinic, fenced play areas, independent entrance, a clinic and staff planning space; the site was last used prior to the 2020 school year. Hyde told the board that “if the classrooms remain unchanged, you're looking at anywhere from 80 to 90 students total. If some of those spaces are flexed and split in half ... you could almost get to a hundred, hundred or a 20, hundred and 30 total students on that campus being served.”
The board was briefed on the selection process. Hyde said the district, working with ConnectED and the Early Learning Coalition, has identified three providers that meet the district’s rubric for quality, sustainability and financial stability. Hyde said board members already received draft rubrics and interview questions and that “partners will be vetted with the ELC, ConnectED and district staff to determine which provider we would like to partner with.”
Why it matters: Board members said additional seats in Southeast and Northeast Polk are a priority because early learning increases kindergarten readiness, supports social-emotional development and can help close achievement gaps. The board framed the McLaughlin site as an opportunity to increase local capacity without the district incurring major capital costs if an outside high-quality provider operates the program.
Discussion highlights and next steps - Building condition and preparation: IT, maintenance and custodial teams inspected the site; custodial staff will strip and wax floors and maintenance will relocate stored equipment to district warehouses so classrooms can be prepared. - Inclusion and special populations: Board members asked that transition students and students with disabilities be included. Hyde confirmed the rubric and contract language include a section “dedicated solely to students with disabilities or exceptionalities to ensure that they will be adequately served and included.” - Seat allocation and staff set-asides: Hyde said the negotiated contract could include reserved seats for district employees, allocated via a lottery; final contract terms will stipulate any set-asides. - Flexing space and portables: The site contains two portables that could be used if needed and providers may propose temporary, reversible partitions to create additional classrooms; any construction must be approved by district staff. - Timeline and oversight: The board will receive the full provider rubrics and interview questions at the next meeting; Hyde said he will return with a recommendation after the vetting process and that board members interested in serving on the interview committee should contact him.
Board members also asked district staff for an inventory of underused district spaces and their condition; Hyde said he would provide a facilities utilization report and a list of independent buildings and sites that are currently unused or underutilized.
The board did not take a formal vote on the McLaughlin plan at the work session; staff will bring provider rubrics and interview results back to the board for future action.
