BARTOW, Fla. – The Tax Collector for Polk County, Joe G. Tedder, will present a check to the school board on Tuesday night, September 3, on behalf of the Polk County Kids Tag Art (KTA) program. Tedder is pleased and honored to present the funding intended to bolster elementary art teachers’ classroom supplies and materials.
Polk County Public Schools Board Meeting on Tuesday, September 3, 2024, in Bartow.
“We experienced another tremendous, record-breaking year of Kids Tag Art last year,” Tedder said, “and are so happy to have such a successful program to help enrich elementary school classrooms with Fine Arts.”
The check, to be presented during the school board’s regular meeting, represents dollars sent directly to art teachers across Polk County Schools. The 2023-2024 KTA totals hit new milestones.
- $64,848 raised for all Polk County schools (public, private, and charter schools)
- $50,078 raised for Polk County public schools alone
- $625 (at least) to each art teacher
- $2,391,507 total raised across all participating Florida counties to date
KTA is a 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! The tags with fifth graders’ designs are sold online at www.KidsTagArt.com for anyone to purchase; all proceeds from sales go back to teachers to help them buy art supplies! This way, KTA stimulates creative thinking and problem solving in students while raising additional funds that can be put back into the elementary arts programs.
A number of Polk County private and charter schools participate as well, including the Roberts Academy’s fifth grade class.
Over the 19 years since the program was founded, 15+ Florida counties have adopted KTA programs of their own. Tedder continued,
“The impact this program is making in Polk County and statewide is remarkable. We’re especially grateful to our community partners and sponsors for their contributions to the thriving success of our program, as other arts programs across the state face more difficult times under funding cuts.”
KTA’s Major Sponsor Southern Homes of Polk County continues to be a valued partner; we also thank 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, SouthState Bank, Polk Arts & Cultural Alliance, Publix Supermarket Charities, Unlimited DPI, the Ashley Gibson Barnett Museum of Art at Florida Southern College, Florida Department of Citrus, First Lakeland Tag Agency, St. Joseph’s Children’s Hospital/BayCare Kids, and of course Polk County Public Schools. Additionally, we welcome new sponsors for the 2024-2025 school year Regal Automotive Group, Tampa Electric (TECO), Straughn Architect Group, and WBF Radio 102.9!
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 browse and buy student license plate designs!
For more information on how to become involved as a participating school or donating sponsor, or for any Media requests, contact Public Engagement Specialist Ashleigh Mills at AshleighMills@polktaxes.com.
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