Idalia Shelters are open, thank you everyone

Please continue to monitor the storm through news and weather updates in collaboration with the Citrus County Sheriff’s office. Do not delay evacuations. Our shelters are open at several Citrus County Schools and CF. A list of those locations is provided below.

I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to all those in our Citrus County Schools district and school levels who have been monitoring, preparing, and are now managing our shelters for our students, families, and community. I want to pause and give special thanks to some who have been playing important roles behind the scenes: Superintendent Himmel, who made sure all our departments and schools had the support they needed, including releasing payroll early so staff could make provisions for their families; Assistant Superintendent Jonny Bishop, who has tirelessly supported all the team leaders at the district and schools; Assistant Superintendent Dr. Hebert and Chief Academic Officers Trish Kahler, Steven Baumer, and the Risk Management Department, who have been at the Citrus Emergency Operations Center, monitoring and collaborating with our partners at the Citrus Board of County Commissions and Sheriff; School Board Police Chief David Vincent and his team, Eric Stokes, our facilities teams, and all our school maintenance teams who have been preparing schools to serve as shelters. Extra thanks to all our administrators, staff, food service teams, and custodial teams that will remain on-site throughout the storm, working rotating shifts, and in some cases, staying overnight to manage the shelters. We also extend our appreciation to our School Guardians and Student Resource Officers (SROs) who are also present in our shelters. Added appreciation to our Senator Blaise Ingoglia and State Representative Dr. Ralph Massullo, who each, along with their staff have checked in with me and offered their support. (If I have left anyone out, I apologize; it is very unintentional.)

Lastly, I want to thank all educators, staff, transportation teams, and administrators who prepared each of their schools and locations for the storm, and for all they have been doing to keep our students, staff, and schools safe.

Please continue to hold our community and state in your prayers. God bless Citrus County!

The following general population shelter locations are open:

• Central Ridge Elementary, 185 West Citrus Springs Blvd., Citrus Springs
• Citrus High School, 600 W Highland Blvd, Inverness
• Citrus Springs Middle School, 150 W Citrus Springs Blvd, Citrus Springs (Gen. Population)
• Forest Ridge Elementary, 2927 North Forest Ridge Blvd., Hernando (Special Needs)
• Renaissance Center, 3630 W Educational Path, Lecanto (Pet Friendly)
• College of Central Florida, 3800 S Lecanto Hwy, Lecanto (Shelter of Last Resort)

Comments Off on Idalia Shelters are open, thank you everyone
Filed under: Blog Posts, News & Updates