Polk County Public Schools

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Contact Us

Human Resource Services
P.O. Box 391
Bartow FL 33830

Phone: (863) 534-0781
Fax: (863) 534-0737

Additional Info

Employment Opportunities & Information

Our Mission

The mission of the Human Resource Services division is to provide well-qualified and highly-trained human resources who will ensure rigorous, relevant learning experiences for our students.

Hiring Updates

Open Hiring has been announced for all Instructional and Paraeducator positions.

The Hiring Freeze is still in effect for Educational Support (Clerical ) Personnel until further notice.
Hiring Pools Currently Open

Click here for full information on these opportunities.

Special Notice to Instructional Applicants

If you have an interest in obtaining an instructional position for the 2010-2011 school-year, complete these steps:

  1. Go to www.fldoe.org to complete and apply for Florida Certification.
    (Florida does offer reciprocity with most States. Be sure to submit a copy of your out-of-state certificate if you are applying as an out-of-state Applicant.)
  2. Go to http://www.polk-fl.net/employment/onlineapplication.htm to complete the online employment application. Gather supporting documentation to help you complete the application. This documentation should include

What You Can Expect After Submitting the Application

  1. Once you have completed the online application, you will receive email notification regarding your application status.
    • It will not be necessary for you to send or take your résumé to Administrators as the new on-line application is designed to serve as your résumé. 
  2. Once you have been notified that your application is complete and clear, you may search advertised vacancies and apply on-line for positions for which you are fully qualified. 
  3. If the system determines your qualifications meet the requirements for the position, the system will ask if you would like to interview. 
  4. If you answer yes, you would like to interview, your name and application will automatically be sent to the hiring Administrator(s) for consideration.  You will also receive system notification of your interview status.
  5. Applicants must be prepared to share any and all criminal history and to respond to the questions posed within the online application.  Please read this section in its entirety:

    • Have you ever been found guilty, entered a plea of nolo contendere (no contest), or had adjudication withheld in a criminal offense other than a minor traffic violation? (DUI IS NOT A MINOR TRAFFIC VIOLATION). Are there any criminal charges pending against you?

      The following are examples of criminal traffic offenses that must be reported: Driving While Under the Influence of Alcoholic Beverages, Drugs etc., Fleeing to Elude the Police, Driving While License Suspended or Revoked, Willful and Wanton Reckless Driving (not careless driving), Unauthorized Possession of a Forged/Counterfeit or Altered Driver’s License, Allowing an Unauthorized Operator to Drive and certain No Valid Driver’s License charges. There are other criminal traffic charges that may require disclosure. Please refer to chapters 316 and 322 of the Florida State statutes or the statutes in the state you were cited to assess any additional criminal traffic convictions you may have to disclose.

      SEALED or EXPUNGED records must be reported pursuant to §.943.0585 and 943.059, F.S. In Florida, the entire arrest record is revealed to school districts, including sealed and/or expunged records and military court proceedings. Applicants must disclose this information even if told differently by a lawyer, judge, or other law enforcement individual. Information that must be disclosed includes any offense that occurred whether as a juvenile or adult; therefore all adult and juvenile offenses must be listed. Failure to disclose all convictions, regardless of adjudication, will result in the applicant being barred from consideration for employment with the Polk County School Board for a period of one (1) calendar year from the date of discovery.

      If all convictions are disclosed, but the accuracy of the information provided is in question, then it may cause denial of employment or termination if already employed. A YES or NO answer is required by Florida law. If you check the YES box, you must give the information requested for each charge.

Note: In order to receive system notifications, it will be your responsibility to keep a valid email address on file with us. 

If you have any additional questions about employment with Polk County Schools, email the Office of Recruiting at qualitycounts@polk-fl.net .

Veteran's Preference

Chapter 295, Florida Statutes, sets forth certain requirements for public employers to accord preferences, in appointment, retention and promotion, to certain veterans and spouses of veterans who are Florida residents. All Veterans requesting Veteran’s preference must complete the form below titled, “Veteran’s Preference” and submit it, along with additional documentation such as DD Form 214, to the hiring administrator for each position for which s/he applies. Veterans Preference Form

Nondiscrimination Statement

The School Board of Polk County, Florida, prohibits any and all forms of discrimination and harassment based on race, color, sex, religion, national origin, marital status, age, homelessness, or disability or other basis prohibited by law in any of its programs, services, activities or employment. To file concerns, you may contact the Office of Equity & Compliance, Human Resource Services at 863-534-0513.

Polk County Schools is an equal opportunity institution for education and employment.

Collection of Social Security Numbers

Per Florida Statute 119.071(5), this is to notify you of the purpose for collecting and utilizing your social security number. Providing your social security number is a condition of employment at Polk County Public Schools. To protect your identification, we will secure your social security number from unauthorized access, and strictly prohibit the release of your social security number to unauthorized parties contrary to state and federal law.

Polk County Public Schools collects your social security number for legitimate business purposes during the recruitment, selection and hiring process.  Once you are employed, your social security number will be used for completing State and Federal mandated reports and actions that require such, including but not limited to the following:

The procedures for the security, privacy and retention of automated student and staff records shall be in accordance with the requirements of U.S.C 1232g(b)(3), 34 C.F.R. Part 99 and Section 1002.22.F.S.

 

General Information

The following documents pertain to all Polk County School Board employees.

Polk County School District employees have the option of joining either the FRS Pension Plan or the FRS Investment Plan. All new hires will be enrolled in the FRS Pension Plan. New employees wishing to join the Investment Plan should review the New Hire Enrollment Kit that will be mailed by FRS following the second month of employment. For a comparison of the two plans click here.

Administrative

Click here to view administrative openings

Click the Administrative Openings category under the Current Openings heading on the left side of the web page to view vacancies, job description and salary information. 

Please be sure to follow the “How to Apply” directions that are listed at the bottom of the web page.

All applicants, including Polk County School Board employees, must complete an on-line employment application. 

For each position applied for: Log on to your on-line application, Click “Job Browser”, locate the position you want to apply for and click “Apply”.  Submit the current Administrative Open Position Application Form with required documentation and send to: School Board of Polk County, Attention: Darla Hammond, P.O. Box 391, Bartow FL 33831

In order to meet the need for administrators at the Elementary and Secondary Level, Polk County Schools has established a pool of applicants from outside the district. The Non-Employee Administrative Pool was established to tap into the wealth of experienced administrators from outside our district and state. This pool will allow applicants in the Experienced Non-District Employee Administrative Pool to apply for specific administrative positions.

Instructional

Click here to view instructional openings

In order for your application to be ranked, you must either hold a valid Florida Certificate for full-time teaching or a valid Florida Statement of Status of Eligibility (SOE) which deems you eligible to hold a Florida Certificate for full-time teaching. Please visit www.fldoe.org to apply for Florida Certification.

General Information

Non-Instructional

Click here to view non-instructional openings

Greenhouse Project

Tuition reimbursement for non-instructional employees. More info

View more non-instructional Professional Development information

Paraeducator (Teacher's Assistant)

Applicants seeking these positions must have earned either an AA Degree or 60 semester hours from a regionally accredited institution of higher learning or have a passing score of 464 on the ParaPro Assessment Test.

American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME)

If you are applying for custodial, maintenance or vehicle services, please note that the following procedures must be adhered to in the employee selection process:

AFSCME Contract Language from the Collective Bargaining Agreement

Custodial

If you are interested in applying for a custodial position please complete an online application.

Click here to view openings

Food Service

Food Service is not currently hiring.

You know the ABC's of working with people. Your Attitude is great, you have a Beautiful smile and you are Customer-driven. The School Foodservice Program in Polk County is looking for people like you.

We serve over 20,000 breakfasts and 55,000 lunches daily. Our employees receive great benefits including a workable schedule, holiday breaks, uniforms and meals. We also provide training and the opportunity for advancement. Only looking for part-time work? We are always taking applications for substitute foodservice assistants. Are you interested? We're waiting to hear from you.

Visit the Foodservice District Information pages to view the Frequently Asked Questions

Click here to view the Job Description

Please call 863-534-0589 for more information.

School Bus Driver

School Bus Attendant

Psychological Services

It is recommended that applicants send their resume to the Psychological Services Coordinator. They should also complete the website application. Once the application and resume are received, an interview will be scheduled.

Educational background should be in the area of school psychology from an accredited college or university, preferably NASP approved. Applicants must be eligible for school psychology certification or licensure.

For more information, visit the Psychological Services District Information page.