2018-2019 Polk Vision Annual Report PV AR 2019_web | Page 26

ORATHAI NORTHERN, Ph.D.
Co-Chair
Polk State College
DID YOU KNOW?
5% increase in High School
Graduation Rate
Polk 80.4% for 2017-18
State 86.1% for 2017-18
(Florida Department of Education -Florida’s High
School Cohort 2017-18 Graduation Rate, March
2018)
1.1% *increase since 2013 of
Polk County residents with
a high-quality degree or
credential Polk 28.2% in 2013
to 29.3% in 2017; State 38.6%
in 2013 to 48.3% in 2017
*Includes post-secondary certificate, after 2014,
an associates degree or higher for residents aged
25-64; U.S. Census.
(Data published by Florida College Access
Network-February 2019)
Completion of the Free
Application for Federal
Student Aid (FAFSA) is one
of the best predictors of
whether a high school senior
will go on to college. National
data reports that seniors
who complete the FAFSA are
63% more likely to enroll in
postsecondary education.*
59% of Florida high school
seniors who complete the Free
Application for Federal Student
Aid (FAFSA) qualify for a Pell
Grant, one of the largest forms
of federal aid available to low-
income students.
However, Florida ranks 34th
in the nation for FAFSA
completion.
42.6% of Polk County’s 7,220
12th graders completed a
FAFSA for the 2018- 2019
school year.
- 2.6% decrease from the
2017-2018 school year.
The decrease is reflected both
at a State change - 1.5% and
National change of - 0.3%.
*(2017-National College Access Network analysis
of Education Longitudinal Study 2002).
MICHAEL AKES, Ph.D.
Polk County Public Schools
CHERYL ARRINGTON
Polk County Public Schools
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CHAD TAGTOW
Citizens Bank & Trust
ISABEL LEON
Polk County Public Schools PAIZLEY WHIDDEN
Warner University
WENDY BOLIN
Saddle Creek Logistics
Services BETSY LEVINGSTON
Community Volunteer LINDSAY ZIMMERMAN
Central Florida Development
Council
PENNY BORGIA
United Way of Central
Florida
NAOMI BOYER, Ph.D.*
NOME, LLC
BRIAN BRACEY
Citizens Bank & Trust
Higher Education Coordinating
Council for the Attainment Innovation
Partnership Award STACY CAMPBELL-
DOMINECK
CareerSource Polk
College Access and Success Initiative,
a program of the Florida Philanthropic
Network, made possible through
funding from the Helios Education
Foundation and the Kresge Foundation
and administered through the CASI
Challenge Fund within the GiveWell
Community Foundation STEVEN COCHRAN
Polk County Public Schools
City of Lakeland Florida Community
Services Grant Funds
SARA BETH REYNOLDS
Polk County School Board
BART BLANKENSHIP
Warner University
SARAH BREED
Lakeland Area Chamber of
Commerce
Wells Fargo Foundation
JESSE JACKSON, Ph.D.
Lake Wales Charter District
ALAN BLACK
McKeel Academy
AMY BRATTEN, Ed.D.
Southeastern University
Helios-Florida College Access LCAN seed
grant
EUNICE HUTTO
Southeastern University
INDIRA SUKHRAJ
Florida Polytechnic
University
CYNDI JANTOMASO
Haines City Economic
Development Council
MONIQUE BYRD
Polk County Public Schools
The Talent Pipeline Team
and its work as the Local
College Access Network is
funded by:
JOHN HILL
Polk County Public Schools
SUSAN COPELAND
Polk Education Foundation
CARLY EVANS
Keiser University
KYLE FEDLER
Florida Southern College
KACI GINGRAS
McKeel Academy
LARRY MADRID
Madrid Engineering Group
SEAN MALOTT
Central Florida Development
Council
LAURA WEBSTER
Polk County Public Schools
*Served as Chair thru March 2019
NELSON MARQUEZ, Ph.D.
Webber International
University
LORI MARTINI
GiveWell Community
Foundation
PHIL MINDEN
Bartow Regional Medical
Center
DEVYN MONTALVO
Webber International
University
LAQUIERIA NOTTAGE, Ed.D.
Polk County School Board
BROOKE PAQUETTE
Saint Leo University
TRISH PFEIFFER
City of Bartow
SHEREE SAULTER
Webster University
JIM SIDOU
Saddle Creek Logistics
Services
NILDA SOTO
Polk County Public Schools
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