BARTOW, Fla. – The Tax Collector for Polk County, Joe G. Tedder, was proud to present a check to the Polk County School Board in its Tuesday night meeting! The 2022-2023 Kids Tag Art (KTA) program’s fundraising totals set new records; the check, in the amount of $42,448, represents dollars sent directly to art teachers across the district.
KTA is a 501(c)(3) program founded in Polk County to inspire fifth grade art students to design their own specialty vanity license plates. This ‘tag art’ can be ordered and installed on the front of vehicles! Designs are entered into an online portal at www.KidsTagArt.com for people to purchase, with funds going back to teachers to help them buy art supplies!
Polk County Tax Collector Joe Tedder presented the check to the PCPS Board in Bartow on October 24, 2023.
“We continue to set records with each year of Kids Tag Art,” Tedder said, “and this remarkable program stimulates creative thinking and problem solving in students while raising additional funds that can be put back into the elementary arts program.”
In the 2022-2023 school year, Kids Tag Art hit milestones:
- $53,830 raised for Polk County schools (public, private, and charter schools)
- $42,448 raised for Polk County Public Schools alone
- $625 (at least) to each art teacher
- $602,459 total raised in Polk County to date
- $2,098,022 total raised across participating Florida counties to date
Generous sponsors also make this giving possible, including: major sponsor Southern Homes of Polk County, DPrint, Bartow Ford, LEGOLAND Florida, Big 4 Radio – 97.5 WPCV and Max 98.3—Hall Communications, Lauren’s Kids, Bill2Pay, MIDFLORIDA Credit Union, LAMAR Advertising Company, Polk Education Foundation, Florida Heart Research Foundation, South State Bank, Polk Arts & Cultural Alliance, Publix Supermarket Charities, Unlimited DPI, Polk Museum of Art, Florida Department of Citrus, First Lakeland Tag Agency, St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital/BayCare Kids, and of course Polk County Public Schools.
For those interested in supporting the Kids Tag Art program through the purchase of a vanity license plate, visit www.KidsTagArt.com and follow the link to ‘Purchase Kids Tag Art’ to access vanity license plates from students for the current and past year(s).
For more information on how to become involved as a participating school or donating sponsor, contact Public Engagement Specialist Ashleigh Mills at (863) 534-4738 or AshleighMills@polktaxes.com.