School Board Work Session | October 13, 2026

At the October 13, 2026 Polk County Public Schools Board work session, staff presented the RFP evaluation for comprehensive substitute-teaching services and recommended incumbent Kelly Education Services as the best overall value. Six vendors submitted proposals; Kelly and ESS advanced to finalist presentations. Kelly’s proposed markup was 24%, compared with ESS’s 24.23%, and staff cited Kelly’s 98.4% district fill rate, established local staffing and support, and reduced markup from the current 27% as reasons for the recommendation. Staff estimated more than $1 million in savings using 2025–26 billing as the comparison. The transcript does not show a board vote on the substitute-services recommendation. Board members also discussed substitute oversight and student-safety concerns. Separately, the board unanimously approved proposed joint-defense representation agreements related to Marathon Health LLC v. Polk County School Board and a related bid protest; no dollar amount was stated.

The board received an update on the Homeland Community Farm project, including an estimated construction cost of about $7.6 million. Funding discussed included a $3.5 million state appropriation and match, a Mosaic donation, and potential local capital-improvement funds; staff said approximately $4 million remained to be identified to complete the project. Construction was anticipated to start in January or February and take about 18 months, subject to funding. The board also heard about a contract modification to update Cypress Junction’s address, recurring health-services planning, and SAP implementation and future support planning; no new award or spending approval for those items was identified in the transcript.