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Polk Schools won't proceed with iPod incentive

POLK COUNTY (Bay News 9) -- The Polk County school district has decided to suspend a program that would have given away iPod Nanos to some parents.

The school district was going to use the device to reward parents of children with disabilities who filled out a 10-minute online survey.

The $350,000 that was going to be used for the iPods came from the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act.

Assistant Polk County School Board Superintendent Nancy Woolcock said she was told by the Florida Department of Education they couldn't use the funds that way.

"We're discontinuing the program because the money has to be used directly for the students and not to the parents," Woolcock said.

Woolcock said it's hard to get parents of disabled students to fill out surveys.

Bay News 9 found that was true by talking to one of those parents.

"They just want to have their business to be done and fill out that survey. And after that, that is not going to help me as a parent," said Thankamma Abraham.

Florida Congressman Vern Buchanan said if that was the school board's best idea for using those funds, then they should give the money back to the federal government.

"If the goal is to give out free iPods, they should just take the $300,000 or $350,000 and give it back to the government to pay down the debt, because that is not the intention of those funds," Buchanan said.

The idea was for the parents to give the iPods to their students, not for the parents to keep it for themselves.

Woolcock still said it was a good idea and she plans to get those disabled students iPods next year.