Education
Education
Recognized
on a national and state level for its
innovative programs and excellent schools, the Palm Beach County School
District (PBCSD) offers an ideal education for each and every student. With 185
public schools serving over 168,000 students during the 2008—09 school year,
PBCSD is the fifth largest school district in Florida and the 11th largest in the nation.
With
first-rate private and public schools located throughout the area, Palm Beach County is a superior place for you and
your family to live. Whether you’re enrolling your child in a charter school,
deciding on a college for your high schooler or want to take an adult education
course yourself, you won’t be disappointed with the selection of local schools.
Your
children have a more than adequate number of quality public schools and
programs to choose from, including 103 elementary, 33 middle, 23 high and six
other schools as well as over 35 charter schools. Countywide, there are 58
magnet programs, 25 Choice Programs and 51 Career Academies,
with over 31,000 students participating each year.
PBCSD’s
commitment to excellence is also exemplified in its 12,535 quality teachers,
32,597 dedicated volunteers and 533 supportive business partners. In fact, an
incredible 593 teachers are National Board Certified, which is more than any
other county in the state and ranked seventh nationwide.
This
excellence is seen further in the Florida Department of Education’s “2007
Annual Report Card,” which awarded PBCSD with its third consecutive “A” rating
for the 2006-07 school year reflecting the schools’ performance on the FCAT,
student improvement and attendance.
Recognized
at a national level, three Palm
Beach County
high schools—Suncoast High (fifth), Alexander W. Dreyfoos, Jr. School of the
Arts (17th) and Atlantic Community High (37th)—were featured in Newsweek
magazine’s “The Top of the Class - 1,200 Top U.S. Schools” special section.
Choice
Programs
A
Choice Program is a specialized educational program which responds to students’
interests and fosters student achievement, offering educational choices in Palm Beach County schools. The Choice Programs
include magnet, choice and career academies that emphasize a specific theme and
often represent a cluster of occupations.
Choice
Programs are designed to expand educational options for students, promote
diversity, set high expectations for students to achieve academically and offer
mentorship, internship and apprenticeship opportunities. The Choice Programs
also provide intensive career preparation options for students.
For
further information or to obtain a copy of the Choice Programs Application,
visit the School District Web site at www.palmbeach.k12.fl.us and follow the
program links. You may also contact Mary Vreeland, director of Choice Programs
and School Choice, at (561) 434-7371.
Charter Schools
Charter
schools are public schools that operate under a performance contract or
“charter,” which frees them from most rules and regulations created for
traditional public schools. An individual, group of parents or teachers,
business, municipality or legal entity creates a charter school. Charter
schools are governed by a board of directors that is established by the
founding members of the charter school. The schools must participate in the
state assessment system and are held strictly accountable for academic and
financial results. Contact the Palm
Beach County School District for more information on
charter schools in your area.
Public
School Registration
To
enroll in Florida
schools, a child must be 5 years old by September 1 to enter kindergarten of
the current school year. For those students who transfer into the district from
schools outside of the state of Florida,
the district honors the entry age of those states. For students enrolling in Florida schools for the
first time, requirements include:
• A birth certificate
• A copy of the child’s last report
card
• Up-to-date immunization records
• Proof of physical examination
• within the last year
• Proof of residency
Immunizations
By
the time your child starts school, he/she should have already had a number of
required immunizations. However, proof of updates, boosters and series
completion is required to enter Palm
Beach County
schools for the first time and to advance to some grade levels.
All
pre-K, kindergartners, 7th graders and students who are new to the school
district are required to have proof of a physical examination completed within
the previous 12-month period. Student physicals are documented on the Student
Health Examinations, Form 3040. Forms are available from your physician or from
the Health Department.
Proof
of the following immunizations is required for all students to register:
Diphtheria/Tetanus/Pertussis
(DTaP)
• Five doses
(Four if last dose given after age
4)
Required for grades pre-K through 12
Polio
Series
• Four doses
(Three if last dose given after age
4)
Required for grades pre-K through 12
Measles/Mumps/Rubella
(MMR)
• Two doses Measles
• One dose Mumps
• One dose Rubella
(Usually given as MMR on or after
first birthday)
Required for grades pre-K through 12
Hepatitis
B (Hep B)
• Three doses
Required for grades pre-K through 12
Tetanus
Booster (Td)
• One dose age 11 or older
Required for grades 7 through 12
Varicella
(Chicken Pox)
• One dose (or provider documentation
of Chicken Pox) Required for grades pre-K through 6
The
dates for immunizations must be presented on a Florida Certificate of
Immunization, Form DH 680. Shots may be obtained through your local physician,
Palm Beach County Health Department Health Centers or the Palm Beach Health
Department Immunization Van located throughout the county. For more
immunization information or van locations, call (561) 840-4568 or (800)
810-1225. A monthly immunization van schedule is available at www.pbchd.com.
West Palm
Beach Health Center
(561)
514-5300
Important
Phone Numbers
Palm Beach County School District
(561)
434-8000
Public
Affairs Office
(561)
434-8228
Adult Education Center
(561)
640-5074
Dept.
of Exceptional Student Education
(561)
434-8626
Choice
Program Information
(561)
434-7371
School
Boundaries
(561)
434-8100
Colleges
& Universities
Barry University School of Adult and
Continuing Education
9123
N. Military Trail, Suite
206
Palm Beach Gardens
(561)
622-9300 • www.barry.edu/ace
Barry University’s School of Adult
and Continuing Education offers flexible bachelor’s programs and a Master of
Public Administration. Programs are designed for working adults—with classes in
the evenings and Saturdays—and some include options for accelerated completion.
Choose from administration, human resources, information technology, legal
studies and public administration.
Florida Atlantic University
John
D. MacArthur Campus
5353
Parkside Drive, Jupiter
(561)
799-8500
www.fau.edu/jupiter
Florida
Atlantic University (FAU) offers a range of degree programs at its Abacoa
campus. First-rate academics and facilities combined with low state tuition
make FAU an ideal choice. The campus hosts faculty from six of FAU’s nine
colleges and is home to some of its most prestigious organizations and
facilities.
Keiser University
2085 Vista
Parkway, West Palm Beach
(561)
471-6000
www.keiseruniversity.edu
Keiser University, Florida’s statewide career university has served Florida since 1977. As a
private university, Keiser offers master, bachelor and associate degrees in
allied health, legal studies, business and computer technology fields.
Regionally accredited by the Southern Association of Schools and Colleges, Inc.,
Keiser serves over 101,000 students in West Palm Beach and statewide.
Lincoln College of Technology & Florida
Culinary Institute
2410
Metrocentre Blvd., West Palm Beach
(561)
842-8324
www.lincolncollegeoftechnology.com
www.floridaculinary.com
Since
1982, Lincoln College of Technology (formerly
New England Tech) and Florida Culinary Institute have been a major part of the West Palm Beach
community. Through 20 different educational curricula, Lincoln College of
Technology (LCT) ranks as one of the nation’s finest career training
institutions.
Northwood
University Florida Campus
2600
N. Military Trail, West Palm Beach
(561)
478-5500 • (800) 458-8325
www.northwood.edu
Northwood University’s 90-acre West Palm Beach campus offers modern
residential complexes, recreational facilities and intercollegiate sports
facilities. Educating entrepreneurs of the future, Northwood specializes in
business management with a focus on a variety of business-related specialty and
functional disciplines. The university is a private, nonprofit, fully
accredited institution.
Nova
Southeastern University
3970 RCA Blvd., Suite
7000
Palm Beach Gardens
(561)
622-7018 • www.nova.edu
For
more than 35 years, Nova
Southeastern University
has distinguished itself as an innovative, progressive and groundbreaking
institution of higher learning. Programs available at Palm Beach Gardens
include undergraduate degrees in education and master degrees in business
administration, education, human resource management, mental health counseling
and school guidance counseling. Specialist degree programs include education
and school psychology and doctorate programs include pharmacy, speech language
and pathology and education.
Palm Beach Atlantic University
901 S.
Flagler Drive, West Palm Beach
(561)
803-2000 • ww.pba.edu
Founded
in 1968, Palm Beach Atlantic University (PBA) is a comprehensive Christian
university offering undergraduate, graduate and professional degrees, with
campuses in West Palm Beach, Orlando
and Wellington.
PBA offers over 60 undergraduate degrees,
master’s programs in business administration, counseling psychology and
organizational leadership, as well as a professional degree in pharmacy.
Palm Beach Community College
4200
Congress Ave., Lake Worth
(561)
967-7222 • (866) 576-7222
www.pbcc.edu.
Founded
in 1933, Palm Beach Community College (PBCC) offers more than 100 programs of study at convenient locations in Lake Worth, Boca Raton, Palm Beach Gardens,
Belle Glade and downtown West Palm Beach. More than 46,000 students
attend PBCC each year for associate degrees in the arts and sciences,
professional certificates, career training, continuing education and lifelong
learning. PBCC offers daytime, evening and weekend classes as well as distance
learning via the Internet, television, videotapes and videoconferencing.
South University
1760 N.
Congress Ave., West Palm Beach
(561)
697-9200 • www.southuniversity.edu.
South University was founded in 1899 and is a
private academic institution with a broad—based core curriculum. The College of Business,
the College of Health
Professions, the College
of Nursing and the
College of Arts & Sciences offer associate, bachelor and master degrees in
a variety of fields and specializations.
The
UF Center for Entrepreneurship
and
Innovation
1111
Entrepreneurial Hwy, West Palm Beach
(561)
555-5555 • www.cei.edu
The
UF Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (CEI) provides students with the
tools and experiences needed to pursue new opportunities. From technology-based
entrepreneurship to social entrepreneurship initiatives and everywhere in
between, CEI provides students with an innovative and entrepreneurial education
to impact not just their careers, but their lives.
University of Phoenix – South Florida
7111 Fairway
Drive, Suite 205
Palm Beach Gardens
(800)
697-8223 • (954) 382-5303
www.phoenix.edu/campus-locations
University of Phoenix – Palm
Beach Gardens
has over 21,000 square feet of space with 11 classrooms, administrative offices
and rental space for large meetings and events. Undergraduate and graduate
programs include business, criminal justice, education, nursing/health care and
technology among others. Other area locations included Fort
Lauderdale, Plantation, Miami and Miramar.
Vocational/
Occupational/Culinary & Training Centers
The
Palm Beach County School District
provides full-time and part-time—depending on a student’s needs—vocational and
occupational training at three technical education centers and at various
community schools.
South Tech Academy
Boynton
Beach • (561) 369-7000
West Technical Education
Center
Belle Glade • (561)
996-4930
Inlet Grove Community
High School
Riviera
Beach • (561) 881-4600
Adult Education Center
2161
N. Military Trail, West Palm Beach
(561)
640-5074
The
Adult Education
Center is a public school in the Palm Beach County School District.
Its purpose is to provide the opportunity for adult students to gain the
essential knowledge and literacy skills needed to obtain employment, promote
their children’s education and carry out the rights and responsibilities of
citizenship.
Florida Career College
6058
Okeechobee Blvd., West Palm Beach
(561)
689-0550
www.careercollege.edu
Florida Career College has been
specializing in career training since 1982. Programs are designed for
individuals who want to succeed in medical and computer careers. Day and
evening classes enable students to work while pursuing their degree. Florida Career College
places great emphasis on assisting graduates to find employment in their field.
LiveI.T. Academy
315 S. Dixie
Highway, Suite 203
West Palm
Beach
(561)
832-4268
The
LiveI.T. Academy provides training to the unemployed, under employed,
handicapped and individuals with a job market disadvantage due to lack of
education, job skill or experience. Additional services include corporate
training, help from network consultants and certification testing.
Palm Beach Community College
4200
Congress Ave., Lake Worth
(561)
967-7222 • (866) 576-7222
www.pbcc.edu
A
major provider of workforce education, Palm Beach Community College (PBCC)
collaborates with local businesses and industries to continuously update its
curricula. The college offers vocational certificates, career degrees, college
credit certificates, applied technology diplomas, advanced technical
certificates, professional development, professional certification and
customized training seminars and workshops. The college offers a strong service
network, offering tutoring, test-taking preparation, guidance, financial aid,
childcare and services for single parents and displaced homemakers.
Content
Provided: ©Passport Publications & Media Corporation
|
