The Polk County Board of Education is back in session this evening, and expect some discussions over what is to come for the 2021-22 academic calendar and over a statewide policy of decreasing the End of Course Testing results weight on final grades.

Board members gather at 6 p.m. this evening for the work session, which includes the election of a new chair and vice chair for 2021, along with opportunity to have several discussions over the immediate future of the district’s calendar for the next academic year.

Superintendent Laurie Atkins reported that those discussions are being had now to allow for families to have more time to plan for the coming academic year, but no announcements are being made yet until a decision is made by the board about what steps will be taken to change the academic year coming up.

The first board work session of the year also includes a chance for discussion about a statewide plan to reduce the amount of weight the End of Course Tests for students have on their final grades. A waiver will have to be voted on next Tuesday over whether a one-year reduction in the weight from 20% of the final grade to 1% will be considered. Atkins said this measure was being pushed by the state Department of Education.

Board members will also get to celebrate the Polk School District’s recognition once again as achieving Exemplary Board status awarded by the Georgia School Board Association, along with a few other items that will come up for vote next week.

One of those is a request for architectural plans being made up for each school when re-roofing is being completed. The next school who has a project coming up for a new roof is Eastside Elementary School, and it is the district’s intention to have that available prior to the project getting underway. The board will vote next week on the item.

Those also include recommendations for the Board Attorney, financial institutes, and hearing committee reports before going into executive session to discuss personnel matters.

Check back for more on the school board meeting as it becomes available.