Polk County Public Schools
Audrey Kelley
Senior Manager
863-291-5355
The Health and Character Education area coordinates the Comprehensive Health Curriculum K-12 in all Polk County schools and documents compliance with state and district mandates. Prevention contacts designated by the principal at each school are trained yearly and curriculum needs are addressed as they arise. Health education lesson plans are developed and correlated with the Sunshine State Standards. Critical Issues training is provided for all school-based personnel. Health Education personnel coordinate CPR/First Aid/AED training for high school instructors to assure that updated certification is available to fulfill state requirements. Over 10,000 students are trained in CPR annually. Health Education personnel partner with the American Red Cross for instructor/student, CPR/First Aid training and documentation.
Twelve itinerant registered nurses (RNs) provide students, (grades 4-12), with age and developmentally appropriate information regarding human sexuality as required by Florida Statutes. The RNs provide over 7,000 health-related classes annually and include topics such as teen pregnancy, sexually transmitted diseases, and HIV/AIDS education.
The “Keys to Character” initiative emphasizes 10 different character traits mandated in Florida Statutes and includes applicable Sunshine State. Monthly bulletins are developed and published for all schools.
Registered Nurses provide services and information in the following areas: entrance and immunization requirements, communicable diseases, Bloodborne Pathogens, head lice, health clinic aides/health contacts in schools, school nurse information, CPR and First Aid training for School Board Employees, medication administration, emergency calls (911), and other state mandated school health programs and requirements.
View the Medication Administration Policy.
Coordination of all aspects of the AED program, in accordance with Florida Statute 768.1325.
Annual training for all PCSB Category I employees as mandated by federal and state requirements.
Training, clinical supervision, and monitoring of Certified Health Contacts (2-Registered Nurses, 39-LPNs, 65-Clinic Paras, and over 300-health contacts) at all school sites, as mandated by Florida Statutes. Training consists of Medication Administration, Allergic Reactions, Health Room Procedures, Communicable Diseases, First Aid, and Infant/Child/Adult CPR.
Updates and maintains the policy which protects the rights of students/employees with infectious diseases, along with prevention, recognition and control of the spread of communicable diseases within the school. The Polk County Health Department (PCHD) is notified of reportable communicable diseases by Health Services.
Provides free HepB immunizations to PCSB Category I personnel. All other PCSB employees may receive the immunizations at cost. Clinics are offered every two weeks at the Mark Wilcox Center. Over 450 immunizations are given annually.
Monitors district-wide student records for compliance with DOE and DOH immunization requirements, as mandated in the Florida Statutes.