Polk State College trustee raises concerns over enrollment, transparency

POLK COUNTY, Fla. —  Tension between leaders at Polk State College is growing as some criticize the school for a lack of transparency.

In May, board trustee Ashley Bell Barnett raised questions about the college’s enrollment and graduation rates. While Polk County’s population continues to grow, Barnett says that growth isn’t being reflected on the college’s campuses.

“In March, there was FTE enrollment numbers. We were in decline by 13.6%,” she said.

Barnett says that number put the college among the lowest in the state for enrollment during the 2023–2024 academic year. She says she and other trustees were unaware until a colleague from another school notified her. This prompted her to bring her concerns to the board and Polk State President Dr. Angela Falconetti.

“May 6 was the first/last time I spoke with her. May 19 was our last board meeting to where I presented these concerns. I haven’t had any answers until now, which has been over a month,” Barnett said.

According to Polk State, the 13.6% decline came from a report designed to project future fundable full-time equivalent (FTE) students. But preliminary data from the college’s submission to the Florida Department of Education shows the school’s enrollment rose just over 2% in the past year. Officials also say graduation rates have remained consistent.

In a statement, spokesperson Madison Fantozzi said:

“Increasing completion rates is a top priority, and efforts are underway across the institution. These include strengthening instructional excellence through ongoing innovation, supporting faculty and staff with meaningful professional development opportunities, enhancing student support services, and implementing a comprehensive, data-informed enrollment management strategy.”

However, Barnett says progress can’t be made without full transparency — and feels the figure provided by the school isn’t much of an increase.

“That still puts us flat. That still puts us at an 18% systemic issue of having low FTE and graduation rates and it also still means that we are still 24 out 28 so even if that number is verified, which it won’t be until July 2nd, there’s some tremendous issues within the accountability system of this college and if I didn’t speak up, I would not be doing my fiduciary responsibility,” she said.

During Monday’s Board of Trustees meeting, some residents and faculty members thanked Barnett for bringing this information to light — while others questioned her motives. But as a donor to the school, Barnett assures she has nothing to gain.

“I only want to see what’s best for the students,” she said. “This is not about me and the administration. This is about me and what’s best for the college.”