Thank you for the last several days

We are Citrus County Schools!

Over the last several days much has been happening very fast that is impacting our students, families, and schools.  I wanted to take a moment to just publicly thank several local persons, organizations or groups that have been diligently working, planning, developing or just doing, for our students’ personal and academic health.  This is not limited to just these people, but these are just some of the standouts.

• District and Schools Food Service Team under the direction of Roy Pistone – academics are important, but ensuring our students are not hungry is vital. Roy and his team worked to develop and them implement a Meal distribution program and implemented it on day one of schools being closed.
• Citrus Blessings, Executive Director Christina Reed, and their volunteer teams and donators – Blessings has been on the front line of making sure our kids are feed in addition to their school provided breakfast and lunches. Ms. Reed (who I think never sleeps) is everywhere ensuring that weekend meals and other snacks where getting distributed ASAP. This couldn’t be done without the amazing Blessings volunteers and donators. If you are interested in donating to Blessings follow this link- http://citruscountyblessings.org/donate/
• Citrus County Education Foundation under the direction of Shaunda Burdette and her team – This group perhaps never stops being focused on our students and staff. They tirelessly are strategic, planning and anticipating the needs of our district. If you are interested in donating to CCEF follow this link- https://www.citruseducation.org/donate
• Suncoast YMCA – From the moment we learned of the schools’ closures the Y has been focused on how to serve our students and families. What great community partners!
• School Level Administrators – These committed leaders are leading us through one of the most challenging academic times in our country’s history.
• Teachers – From the moment that the state expressed what might be the initial plans for students, teachers began planning and strategizing to ensure our students continue to have their academic needs meet during these challenging times.
• School Staff – From our custodians, teacher aides, secretaries, bookkeepers, and everyone in between, everything would come to a screeching halt if not for these team members.
• Lindsay Blair, Public Information Officer for Citrus Schools – If you are learning about information regarding anything with our districts, schools and for our students from an email, phone call, or social media, chances are Ms. Blair was directly or indirectly behind it.
• Citrus Education Technology, Kathy Androski and Lance Fletcher – This team has been front and center on supporting and estimating the basic framework of the tools our students and staff are dependent on.
• Dr. Scott Hebert and the Citrus County Schools Education Service Team – These are the leaders and specialists that are our school academic teams go-to people. Our schools will say “we need help”, and this team says, “we are on our way”.
• Superintendent Himmel, and her executive team of Assistant Superintendent Mike Mullen  and Jonny Bishop – What most people do not know is that these people are typically the first persons at the district, and the last ones to leave each day and these last many days it has been even more. They don’t stop working no matter the hour. I am honored to serve with them!

Again, this is by no means the only people, groups, or organization– but they happen to be the ones that I have been working or communicating with during this initial phase.

Please continue to lift our students, staff, Governor and his teams, the Legislature, and the leaders of all the local non-for profits and agencies, in your prayers.

Our students and I thank you!

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2020 State Education Funding, still optimistic and hopeful

The 2020 State Education funding proposals for the 2020 legislative budgets have been outlined by Governor DeSantis, and both the Senate and House Chambers. 

I am asked continuously these days about what I think about the proposed education funding in the proposed state budget. I am still optimistic and hopeful but most of all appreciative of the Governor and the Legislature to the commitment and hard work that they have put into finding ways to fund and bolster teachers’ salaries and fund important educational necessities. While we share some concerns about what the details may include and some of the additional funding needs and operational costs requirements this year, make no mistake we are grateful for all the Governor and Legislature have been doing to support education. There are many details that the Senate and House will be working on together with input from the Governor, Florida Department of Education, and many other stakeholders, including school boards, to come up with a final budget for the Governor’s signature. I do not believe they have an easy task to achieve the many goals, requirements, desires, and needs for Florida’s students and schools. All of this must be done while also providing a balanced budget.  It is challenging balancing a multitude of funding needs for Florida, not just in education.

We are very blessed in Citrus County to have the Representation at the state level that we have. I am so thankful to our local state elected leaders such as House Representative Dr. Ralph Massullo, and Senator Simpson, who go out of their way to listen to our concerns and feedback about the local impacts of the funding considerations they will have to vote on. There will never be a perfect funding budget that will satisfy everyone concerned. As State elected leaders they will do their best. During my visits to the Capitol, I am continually impressed with the commitment of all our elected leaders. We may sometimes see things slightly differently but what I see over and over is genuine people that want to make the best decisions for our students and future.

I pray for them that they have the wisdom of Solomon as they continue to do what is best for our great state. Our students need all of us to work together and to be positive for them and their future, which is truly our future.

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Career Technical Education Month

So grateful for the amazing Career Technical Education (CTE)/Vocational/Workforce Education opportunities our students have available to them.

Citrus County Schools offer approximately 140 separate CTE courses covering approximately 75 industry certifications, through 28 different Program of Study Pathways available to our high school students.

To learn more about the CTE opportunities in our school for our students visit: http://www.citrus.k12.fl.us/departments/curriculum_and_instruction/career_technical_education

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