The Polk Education Foundation awarded more than $1 million in scholarships to Polk County Public Schools seniors graduating in 2025, the first time it has reached that figure since its inception in 1988.
The Polk Education Foundation is the nonprofit arm of Polk County Public Schools. It supports student success programs, classroom grants, a free teacher market, tutoring, mentoring, best practice sharing, recognition and retention programs and homeless students.
The scholarships, awarded to hundreds of students, will help alleviate the financial burden of college tuition and other educational expenses, the release said.
“Throughout my years of service on the Polk Education Foundation Board, I have seen firsthand the commitment the community has invested in Polk County Public Schools to reach new heights,” Foundation Board Chair Matt Mucci said in a news release. “Without the support of past and present Board Members, the dedication of the Foundation team and the generosity of local businesses and stakeholders, we could not have achieved this important milestone. The difference a scholarship can make in the lives of our students is impossible to quantify, dreams being fulfilled cannot be measured.”
