School Board Meeting | October 27, 2026

The October 27, 2026 regular meeting of the Polk County Public Schools Board included several procurement and funding actions. The board unanimously approved construction-services contracts and contract changes under $250,000 for projects from July through September 2026. Discussion focused on change orders associated with furniture, fixtures, and equipment purchases and sales-tax savings; staff agreed to follow up with details on two change orders. The board also approved, 5–2, an internal-audit-services contract with Carr, Riggs & Ingram through the district’s piggyback of St. Lucie School Board’s RFP 26-02. The contract had been signed September 24 and work had begun; no contract value was stated. Board members discussed the approval timeline and future procedures for contracted audit work.

The board unanimously accepted the GEAR UP PCPS grant project, including related positions and job descriptions. Members described it as a nearly $10 million, six-year grant intended to expand college- and career-readiness supports. In contrast, a motion to approve the substitute-teaching-services RFP with Kelly Services failed 3–4, leaving the current contract in place. Board members raised concerns about the evaluation committee, scoring and pricing, and the procurement process; the superintendent recommended reviewing relevant policies and committee structure before deciding on next steps, and the board indicated the topic should return for discussion. A security-platform agenda item was removed before the meeting, and no action was taken on it.