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District proposes centralized K–5 alternative education program with vendor partnership
Summary
Polk County staff proposed a centralized K–5 Behavior and Emotional Support Team (BEST) to provide intensive behavioral and therapeutic supports, partnering with INVO to operate daily services; board members asked for safeguards after past problems and for staffing, oversight and reintegration data.
Polk County Public Schools leaders proposed on Feb. 24 to reestablish a centralized K–5 alternative education program to serve students with high behavioral, academic and therapeutic needs, a long‑discussed option many board members said the district lacks at elementary grades.
Denise Santos, senior director for behavioral and mental health supports, described the BEST (Behavior and Emotional Support Team) model as a centralized, research‑supported program that integrates academic instruction with mental health and behavioral interventions. Santos said the proposed campus would include four specialized classrooms (early, lower, upper elementary and a flex stabilization room), class sizes of 10–13, and capacity rising from 42…
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