Polk County Public Schools
Lakeland’s George Jenkins High won first place in the high school division of the state FFA Citrus Career Development Event held in Haines City. The citrus career development events stimulates student interest in learning activities related to the production and management of citrus fruit.
George Jenkins was state champion among 23 high schools statewide that competed. Team members were Heather Erskine, Tiffany Keithley, Amanda Long and Kara Seto. Long was the individual champion at the event while Keithley was runner-up. The team’s advisor is Jimmy Sweeney.
Polk County schools had two of the top three schools in the event as Lakeland’s Kathleen High finished in third place statewide. Other Polk high schools that competed at the state citrus event are listed with their place in parentheses: Winter Haven (sixth), Frostproof (seventh), Lake Gibson (eighth), Auburndale (tenth), Haines City (eleventh), Fort Meade (13th) and Lake Wales (17th).
In the middle school state citrus event, Dundee Ridge Middle had the best finish of any Polk school coming in fifth of 19 middle schools competing statewide. Other Polk middle schools that competed were: Fort Meade (sixth), Kathleen (ninth), Haines City’s Boone (twelfth), Lake Alfred-Addair (13th), Lake Wales’ McLaughlin (15th) and Bartow (18th).
Lakeland’s Kathleen High won second place in the high school division of the state FFA Nursery And Landscape Career Development Event held in St. Petersburg. The nursery and landscape career development event stimulates student interest in learning activities related to the nursery and landscape industry including identification of plants, insects and diseases. The competition is also meant to give students practical business experience in the nursery and landscape profession.
Kathleen High was state runner-up among 25 high schools statewide that competed. Team members were Roland Caldwell, Kelly Layton, Chelsea Myers and Tina Yale. The team’s advisor is Kyle Carlton. Other Polk high schools that competed at the state event are listed with their place in parentheses: Haines City (tenth), Bartow (eleventh) and Lake Gibson (14th).
Bartow High’s Reagan Lee was the state individual champion at the state nursery and landscape event while Kathleen’s Myers was the state individual runner-up.
Kathleen Middle was the lone Polk middle school to compete at nursery and landscape state event. Kathleen Middle finished in sixth of nine middle schools that competed statewide.
