Living in Polk
Here is just a sampling of what Living in Polk is all about, including education, healthcare, housing, arts and recreation.
Education
Polk School District
The Polk School District educates approximately 7,800 students in grades K-12 in classrooms equipped with the latest technology. These classrooms can be found in the district’s six elementary schools, two middle schools and two high schools. The Board of Education works closely with the business community to address workforce needs. The nine-member board of elected officials is designated a Quality Board of Education by the Georgia School Boards Association.
Polk County College & Career Academy (PCCCA)
Polk County College & Career Academy (PCCCA) was created in a collaborative effort in 2014 to address the needs of business and industry in the community. Polk School District requires all students, as part of the local graduation requirement, to complete a career pathway and nearly 2,000 students are enrolled at PCCCA every school year.
Across two campuses, PCCCA provides the opportunities for students to meet the district requirement while preparing them for high-skill, high-demand, high-wage careers that also meet the workplace needs of local business and industry. In addition to the career and technical pathways available at PCCCA, the Polk School District currently offers many career pathways in the areas of Fine Arts, World Languages, and Advanced Academics to emphasize the importance of college and career readiness.
Polk Career Connect– A workforce initiative created through a collaboration between local industries, Polk School District, Polk County Chamber of Commerce, and The Development Authority of Polk County.
Area Private Schools
| Covenant Christian School | Cedartown |
|---|---|
| Foundation Christian School | Rockmart |
| Berry College Elementary & Middle School | Rome |
| Darlington School | Rome |
| Montessori School of Rome | Rome |
| St. Mary’s Catholic School | Rome |
| Unity Christian School | Rome |
Higher Education
In addition to college credits available through the direct involvement of Georgia Northwestern Technical College and Georgia Highlands College in dual-enrollment or standard coursework, Polk residents are also within easy driving distance of college classrooms at Berry College and Shorter University in Rome, Georgia and Kennesaw State University’s auxiliary campus in Dallas, Georgia.
Healthcare
Atrium Health Floyd Polk Medical Center
Atrium Health Floyd Polk Medical Center is a 25-bed, critical access hospital that offers health care services to Polk County with support from Atrium Health Floyd health system’s comprehensive network of care. Atrium Health Floyd Polk Medical Center provides a Level IV Trauma Center, inpatient rehabilitation, imaging, lab work and infusion therapy.
Atrium Health Floyd Medical Center
Additional needs can be met at Atrium Health Floyd Medical Center in Rome, Georgia, a 304-bed full-service acute care hospital and regional referral center. FMC offers such services as a Primary Stroke Center, Inpatient Diabetes program, Center for Joint Replacement and a Spine Surgery program, all certified by the Joint Commission. Atrium Health Floyd Medical Center also is a Bariatric Surgery Center of Excellence, Quality Breast Center of Excellence and Breast Imaging Center of Excellence, and home to a state-designated Level ll trauma and emergency care center and a Level lll Neonatal Intensive Care Unit.
AdventHealth Redmond
Also in Rome, AdventHealth Redmond is a 230-bed acute care facility that is nationally recognized as a top cardiac care center. Fully certified by the Joint Commission, other areas of excellence include emergency care, urology services, orthopedics, vascular care, an inpatient rehabilitation unit and more. Redmond has more than 245 physician partners with more than 30 specialties and a support staff of approximately 1,200 associates.
Polk County Health Department
Another excellent source of medical attention is the Polk County Health Department, which offers vaccinations and immunizations, provides blood pressure clinics, diabetes clinics, chest x-ray clinics, prenatal clinics and family planning assistance. The department also provides hearing, vision and dental testing of children and tubercular skin testing.
Highland Rivers Health
Senior Care
Polk County senior adults have a solid healthcare safety net in place whenever it is needed.
- Cedar Valley Nursing and Rehabilitation – 100-bed, skilled and intermediate care
- Winthrop at Polk – 30-room apartment facility
- Rockmart Health – Post-Acute Nursing and Rehab
- The Cottages at Rockmart–Rehabilitation and medical center
- Big Springs Place Senior Living and Memory Care Community – Personal Care and Memory Care
Housing
One of the great things about living in Polk County, Georgia is the low cost of living – 22% below the U.S. average. Lovely homes in golf course communities such as The Meadows Subdivision and Cherokee Golf and Country Club can be purchased at reasonable prices. There is also the option of living in a loft apartment in Downtown Cedartown or Rockmart, or on a mini estate along a quiet country road. New housing options are on the way as well, making real estate in Polk County more diverse than ever.
Arts & Culture
Polk County residents enjoy a full calendar of arts events and cultural opportunities, from arts festivals to galleries to live performances. Connect with the community of artists and artisans through these events and organizations.
Parks & Recreation
With mild temperatures and more than 215 sunny days per year, there are plenty of reasons to get out and play in Polk County. Polk County and the cities of Cedartown and Rockmart offer a variety of parks and recreational opportunities for residents and visitors to enjoy. Besides our parks, one of the area’s biggest attractions is the Silver Comet Trail, which runs more than 60 miles from metro Atlanta, through Polk County, to the Alabama border. This non-motorized, multi-use trail is perfect for walking, hiking, cycling, rollerblading, and is wheelchair accessible. Recreational opportunities include: