Citrus County Student-Athletes, Welcome Back

… please be responsible and have a great season!

This Tuesday, September 17, 2020, student-athletes in high school sports will begin practices for the 2020-2021 fall season. In a typical year, student-athletes and coaches would have started around the first official day of school, but due to COVID-19 this is no typical school year and so practices did not start.  Following the authorization by the Florida High School Athletics Association (FHSAA) to permit high school fall sports athlete practices, competitions, and the 2020 Fall State Series. FHSAA fall sports include Bowling, Cross Country, Football, Golf, Swimming & Diving, and Girls Volleyball. The FHSAA State Series allows eligible student-athletes and school teams the opportunity in each sport to compete in FHSAA district and regional championships in hopes to qualify and advance to the coveted FHSAA State Championships.

Getting to this point of beginning high school athletic practices in Citrus County Schools has been no small task.  It has involved monumental consideration, planning, and organizing. District leaders in Citrus and Hernando County School Districts worked together with School Athletic Directors and Coaches to developed new safety procedures, protocols, practice routines, and competition plans. This has involved hundreds of high school athletic-coaches working together. I have had the honor and privilege of being involved in the process and I have been so impressed working with these student-focused committed individuals. I want to thank each of the coaches and their assistants for their work. I want to especially thank our high school athletic directors Ron Allan (LHS), Larry Bishop (CHS), and Robert Verlato (CRHS) and their counterparts in Hernando County, who have put in countless hours over and above their assigned duties coordinating and developing these plans.  Lastly, I want to a specially thank Citrus County School Assistance-Superintendent Jonny Bishop who has headed up the “return to competition plan” for Citrus County Schools. For Mr. Bishop I feel this was more than just a leadership task, this was a passion of the heart project. Himself a former high school athlete, coach, father of multiple high school and collegiate athletes, Mr. Bishop like me believes the important valuable role afterschool and extracurricular activities play in the academic and personal success of students.

To Our Student-Athletes…

To our student-athletes, we are so proud of you, we brag about you, we fight for you! Now more than ever your team and the student-athletes on other teams are depending on you. It’s important that you precisely and carefully follow these return to practice and competition plans. You need to hold each other accountable. Outside of practice, you have a vital responsibility to your team and sports by social distancing, wear a mask, and recognizing that the choices you make regarding exposure to yourself and your teammates will have a tremendous impact on your success, the success of your team, and the success for your coaches— who have been working so tirelessly to give you this opportunity and to show the world your talents and the important role these activities play in the life and success of students.

Whether this is your first season, another season, or your senior year, you have a special opportunity to positively contribute to your team and your own success. Make the most of this opportunity, have fun, and have a great season!

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Citrus County Schools and students ROCK!!

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Welcome Back to School Students!

Whether you as a student walked onto your school campus this morning or began virtual studies, we are so happy and excited to have you back! 

Today we welcome back our students! Over 15,000 students will head back to school today in Citrus County Public Schools. Almost 4,000 of those students this year will start the school year attending virtually.

Thank you, our parents and families, for your continual patients during these unique times.

I want to take a moment to thank our Superintendent Sam Himmel for her teams’ tireless work for months developing our return to school plans. Because of the everchanging situation, these plans often have had to re-plan and re-develop.  For weeks staff from custodians to technology specialists, secretaries to administrators have worked 10, 12, and more hours a day trying to ensure our schools open safely and promptly.

I want to thank a number of people by name for their special efforts behind the scenes for their work and leadership. Thank you Superintendent Himmel, Assistant-Superintendents Mike Mullen & Jonny Bishop, Chief Academic Officer Dr. Scott Hebert, Director of Elementary Trish Kahler, Coordinator of Title I Rene Johnson, Public Information Director Lindsay Blair, Director of Specialty Program Debra Stanley, Coordinator of Special Programs Darrick Buettner, Director of Professional Development Lindy Woythaler, all the Education Services TOSAs and department staff, Director of Educational Technology Kathy Androski, Supervisor of Technology Lance Fletcher, Director of ESE Lynne Kirby & the entire ESE department, Director of District Student Services Kit Humbaugh, Coordinator of District Student Services Jennifer Greco & the Student Service staff, Director of Finance Tammy Wilson, Director of Planning and Growth Management Chuck Dixon, Director of Food & Nutrition Services Roy Pistone II & the whole foodservice teams, Transportation Director Marilyn Farmer & the whole transportation department, our Bus Drivers, Director of Facilities, Construction & Maintenance Eric Stokes & the entire facilities staff, our school administrators, our school custodians, school staff, our teachers, our paraprofessional educators, and education aides. (This is by no means a complete list and I apologize for anyone I unintentionally left off the list) The last number of nights, including last night, most of these individuals never went home and work nearly around the clock so that our schools would be open for our students.

The Citrus County School District will continue to be challenged and each one of us will rise to these challenges. Please, stay positive, be encouraging, supportive, and respectful to one another. With the grace of God’s help, we will prevail. God bless each of you, God bless Citrus County Schools and God bless our 2020-2021 students!

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