LAKELAND -- Polk County's students and businesses would be better served if all adult vocational-technical education programs are moved to Polk Community College.
That conclusion was one of seven recommended to the Polk County School District on Friday by a blue-ribbon panel examining how to develop a better-trained work force.
The task force, comprised of a panel of professionals from the public and private sector, was established by Polk County School Superintendent Glenn Reynolds, who will review the completed report within the next week. The school board is expected to vote on adopting the plan Feb. 4.
Reynolds said he created the task force after members of the business community expressed their displeasure with the abilities of students graduating from Traviss and Ridge technical centers.
"It concentrates on a better-trained and focused work force," said Mike Stedem, task force co-chairman. "We're looking to improve the work force in Polk County."
Although all seven recommendations passed with a majority vote, administrators of the county's two existing technical schools weren't enthusiastic about the measures aimed directly at those schools.
"I am opposed to these recommendations," said Ridge Technical Center's Rusty Payne. "The school system ought to be concerned about the money that would disappear."
But Stedem said the county must prepare for the new development waiting around the corner. "I think there is an understanding that there are changes coming," he said. "We can wait or we can be proactive."
The recommendations include:
* Move adult programs (post-secondary technical and adult education) as soon as possible to Polk Community College. PCC should work with the Polk Work force Development Board, with local economic development entities and with business representatives to provide instructional programs as needed to ensure the success of students and the local economy.
* Establish a minimum of two technical high schools to serve the secondary students of Polk County. These schools should be established geographically to provide for county-wide services with a minimum of transportation time and expenses. If possible, because of the locations and the program facilities at Ridge and Traviss, it is recommended that those two facilities be converted to technical schools. If that transition is not possible, it is recommended that two existing high schools be made technical high schools.
* Each of the traditional high schools in the county should establish a plan to ensure that each student receives instruction directly related to the student's career interests.
* Each middle school in the county should provide a school-to-work process for all students so that students leave middle school with a vision of their strengths, weaknesses and occupational interests.
* Every elementary school in the county should institutionalize school-to-work practices and procedures to ensure that students build foundation skills as needed to be successful in middle school. Student mastery of grade-level reading and math skills is essential for further success.
* Leadership from PCC and from Polk County schools should be established to work with task force members and with schools to move implementation of the recommendations forward.
* A leadership team made up of representatives from the existing task force, local four-year colleges, the community college, the school system, the Polk Work force Development Board and economic development entities should work together to monitor and support the effectiveness of implementation.
