Polk County Public Schools reminds families that there will be no districtwide alterations to school start times for the upcoming 2026-27 school year.
In an official statement addressed to PCPS families, the district addressed recent questions, stating: “We’ve received some questions about our school start times for the 2026-27 school year, and we’d like to confirm that there are NO districtwide changes for Polk County Public Schools.”
The announcement references a previous Florida state law that would have mandated later start times statewide beginning in 2026. That law, passed in 2023 (requiring middle schools to start no earlier than 8:00 a.m. and high schools no earlier than 8:30 a.m.), was repealed in May 2025 when Governor Ron DeSantis signed SB 296. As a direct result, PCPS will maintain its existing start times across the district.
The district encouraged families to attend school orientation sessions before the new year and to contact individual schools directly with any specific questions about schedules or operations.
The 2026-2027 school calendar has already been approved and revised by the board, with the first day of school for students scheduled for Tuesday, August 11, 2026.
SOURCE: POLK COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS
