Polk State College maintains operating budget and receives funding for Lakeland renovations

Posted on by Polk Newsroom

Legislative Update

The General Appropriations Bill was signed Thursday morning and Polk State College’s operating budget was maintained. The College was also allocated $6.1 million to begin renovations of the Lakeland Academic Center, a $12.2 million project.

“Polk State College is grateful for the hard work of the Legislature, including the Polk County Legislative Delegation,” Polk State President Angela Garcia Falconetti said. “Funding will assist us in renovating a critical academic and workforce facility that houses our student center as well as coursework for Associate in Science and Associate in Arts degrees.”

The College did not receive $16.2 million requested in Public Education Capital Outlay (PECO) funds to complete Phase I of development and construction of the Haines City Campus. The development of the Haines City Campus on Polk State’s 7.8-acre site adjacent to AdventHealth Heart of Florida remains a top priority for the College, and work with architects and the construction manager will continue with the $13.8 million allocated for this project during the 2022 Legislative Session.

The planned 75,000-square-foot facility will house classroom, laboratory, and office spaces to support workforce training in Health Sciences, Supply Chain and Logistics, Supervision and Management, Hospitality, and general education courses for the Associate in Arts degree.

Access to quality higher education and workforce training in this area is pivotal as it is the fastest-growing area of Polk County. Within a 10-mile radius of the Polk State Haines City site, there are:

  • 80,000 residents whose highest education is a high school diploma or some college, but no degree.
  • 3,800 12th-graders; 39% of all high school seniors in Polk County.
  • 17,000 new jobs projected in the next decade.

“We will continue to strongly advocate for this project at the state level as well as seek additional funding sources through grant opportunities and donor relations to assist in bringing this pivotal project to fruition,” Garcia Falconetti said. “We are grateful to the Polk County Legislative Delegation and community for their continued support.”