Florida Sales Tax Holiday 2012

Posted on August 1st, 2012 by

Florida Sales Tax Holiday 2012

August 3 through August 5, 2012

Attention Parents, NO SALE TAXES!!  That is correct from August 3 through August 5, 2012 no sales tax shall be collected on the sale of clothing, wallets, or bags, including handbags, backpacks, fanny packs, and diaper bags, but excluding briefcases, suitcases, and other garment bags, having a sales price of $75 or less per item, or on sales of certain school supplies having a sales price of $15 or less per item for the period beginning 12:01 a.m. on August 3, 2012, and ending at 11:59 p.m. on August 5, 2012.

  • “Clothing” means any article of wearing apparel, including all footwear (except skis, swim fins, roller blades, and skates), intended to be worn on or about the human body. However, “clothing” does not include watches, watchbands, jewelry, umbrellas, handkerchiefs, or sporting equipment. (Follow this link for a full list of clothing and accessory items.)
  • “School supplies” means pens, pencils, erasers, crayons, notebooks, notebook filler paper, legal pads, binders, lunch boxes, construction paper, markers, folders, poster board, composition books, poster paper, scissors, cellophane tape, glue, paste, rulers, computer disks, protractors, compasses, and calculators. (Follow this link for a full list of clothing and accessory items.)

For more information on Florida Sales Tax Holiday 2012 visit the Florida Department of Revenue’s web page at: http://dor.myflorida.com/dor/

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Recap of School Board Special Meeting, Workshop & Public Hearing on 7/24/2012

Posted on July 27th, 2012 by

Recap of School Board Special Meeting, Workshop & Public Hearing on 7/24/2012

Our board meeting for July 24th included a Special Meeting, Budget Workshop & Public Hearing to Adopt the Tentative Millage Rates and the Tentative Budget.

During this meeting Director of Technology, Dr. Mike Geddes, test LIVE streamed the board meeting over the internet. I am really excited about this and I look forward to sharing even more about it soon.

At the board meeting the board approved the Floral City Elementary School Wastewater Treatment Plant Consultant Agreement and two change orders for Crystal River High School Site work, Renovations, Remodeling and Additions.  The board approved the Instructional and Support Recommendations known on the board as “The Golden Rod” (as it is printed on golden colored paper to be easily identified).

At the Public Hearing the board Adopted the Tentative Millage Rates totallying 7.639 mills for the local funding which is almost 10% less than last year’s rate.   The Tentative 2012-2013 Budget total is $229,952,264.00 which is  approximately $30 million less or 11.5% less than last year’s budget.  The state funding for the 2012-2013 budget year has increase approximately $2 million dollars but as a district we have still lost a total of $16 million in State and Federal Funding since 2007.  All total, the State of Florida will fund $42,475,648.00 or 44% while locally Citrus tax payers will fund $54,678,991.00 or 56%.  About ten years ago those percentages would have been reversed and the State of Florida would have paid the largest percentage of the funding. This is frustrating as the State of Florida Legislator and the Florida Department of Education send mandates down to our local communities and then require that those mandates be paid locally.  Since Florida DOE has designated Citrus County as an “A” district now for 7 years in a row (see blog story: Citrus School is an “A” District… Again!!), and since Florida DOE has designated Citrus as a “High Performing School District” for six consecutive years (see blog story: 2012 High Performing School District for 6th Year!), should not the Florida Legislation give counties, like Citrus County, broader local control?

Unfortunately, I want to share that NO member of the public attended any of the meetings.  Neither the Special Meeting which began at 1:00pm, followed by the 2012-2013 Budget and Student Progression Plans for Elementary and Secondary Workshop that started about 3:00pm, and lastly, the Public Hearing to adopt the Tentative Millage Rates and the Tentative Budget which was at 5:30pm.  My hope is that with the beginning of LIVE streaming of the meetings more parents, students and community members will watch the Live streaming to be more informed of the issues and workings of our schools and district.

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Student iPad Information Night for Parents

Posted on July 26th, 2012 by

Student iPad Information Night for Parents

On Wednesday evening I join Superintendent Sam Himmel and Assistant Superintendent of School Operations, Mike Mullen, at Citrus Springs Middle School for the iPad Information Night for Parents.  The 7th grade students at CSMS for the coming 2012-2013 school year will be receiving iPads instead of textbooks as part of a district pilot program for transitioning print to digital curriculum. (Follow this link to my blog post about CSMS iPad pilot: http://www.thomastalksoncitrusschools.com/3879). The State of Florida mandated new state requirement that by the 2014-2015 school year all public school curriculum must be delivered digitally.

Principal David Roland began the evening welcoming parents and students and sharing information regarding plans to implement the pilot program.  Mr. Roland showed a video from Apple on iPad use in classrooms (see video below). Following Mr. Roland, Executive Director of Curriculum, Mark Klauder, gave an overview of the District’s Implementation of the iPad devices.  Director of Technology, Dr. Mike Geddes, shared about the grant process for this pilot and how CSMS was selected.  Assistant Principal, Dr. Jennifer Sasser, explained to parents what a classroom and curriculum might look like with students using one-to-one iPads. Assistant Principal, Jason Koon, explained some of the process for maintaining the iPads, covers, and the need for re-charging them.  Following that Principal David Roland, and Assistant Principals Jason Koon and Jennifer Sasser, went over the critical points of the Student iPad User Agreement.  The evening finished with encouraging remarks from Superintendent Himmel. Following that she requested that all of the students in the audience please stand.  As these students stood the rest of the audience consisting of parents, educators and district staff cheered with excitement.

I am overjoyed that as a district we are using the best tools available to educate our students for their future in the world they will eventually be working and succeeding in.

Apple education learning with ipad us

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2012 High Performing School District for 6th Year!

Posted on July 26th, 2012 by

2012 High Performing School District

School District for 6th Time Honored as High Performing School District

It is with great excitement that I share that the Florida School Board of Education that the Citrus County School District for the 6th year is designated as an Academically High Performing District for 2012. This distinctive honor requires that the district maintained the following:

  • The district earns a grade of “A” for 2 consecutive years
  • Has no district-operated school that earns a grade of “F”
  • Complies with class-size requirements
  • Has no material weaknesses or instance of material noncompliance noted in the annual financial audit conducted

I am so proud of the great work by our students, teachers, staff, administrators, district staff, executive team, volunteers, parents, family members and community members that each contributed greatly to this success.  GREAT WORK CITRUS!!

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Revised Crystal River Primary School Grade to an “A”

Posted on July 22nd, 2012 by

Revised Crystal River Primary School Grade to an “A”

Today we learned from the Florida Department of Education that due to an error by DOE’s in calculating learning gains, Crystal River Primary School Grade has been recalculated from a “B” to an “A” School!!  Congrats CRP!!

This means that for the 2011-2012 school year, during a year filled with new standards, new rules and new test formats, Citrus County Public School Students scored and measured well. Fourteen out of fifteen elementary and middle schools received an “A” and one received a high “B”.  I am so very proud of each school’s achievement!

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Meet Your Teacher / Orientation Dates 2012-2013

Posted on July 21st, 2012 by

Meet Your Teacher / Orientation Dates 2012-2013

Information as of July 9, 2012. Changes in schedule will be posted here.

Elementary

Central Ridge Elementary
Friday, August 3rd     4:30 – 6:30 pm

Citrus Springs Elementary
Pre-K through Grade 5
Friday, August 3rd, 4:00 – 6:00 pm

Crystal River Primary
Friday August 3rd
Pre-K and Kindergarten 3:00pm meet in the cafeteria
1st – 5th grades 4:00-6:00 pm

Floral City Elementary
Friday August 3rd
Pre-K & Kindergarten-and New Students    9:30-10:00
Meet your Teacher Pre-K – 5th   10:00am to 12 noon

Forest Ridge Elementary
Friday, August 3rd
Grades: Pre-K through Grade 5   4:00 pm – 6:00 pm

Hernando Elementary
Friday August 3rd
Pre-K & Kindergarten 3:00 – 4:00 pm
1st through 5th   4-6pm

Homosassa Elementary
Friday, August 3rd 4:00 to 6:00 pm

Inverness Primary
Friday, August 3rd 4:00 – 6:00 pm

Lecanto Primary
Friday, August 3rd
Grades: Pre-K & Kindergarten 3:30 pm sharp
1st through Grade 5th   4:30 – 6:30 pm

Pleasant Grove Elementary
Friday, August 3rd
New to PGE 3:30-4:00
All others 4:00 pm-6:00 pm

Rock Crusher Elementary
Friday, August 3rd 4:30 to 6:30 pm

MIDDLE SCHOOLS

Citrus Springs Middle
Monday, August 6th 3:00 to 5:30pm

Crystal River Middle
Monday, August 6th 2:30 to 5:30 pm

Inverness Middle 
Monday, August 6th 3:00 to 6:00 pm

Lecanto Middle
Monday, August 6th 3:00 to 6:00 pm

HIGH SCHOOLS

Citrus High
Tuesday, August 7th, 9 am – 12 Noon FRESHMAN only
Fall Open House: Tuesday August 21st 6:00 pm-7:00 pm
Informational session at 5:30 anyone pursuing AP Courses.

Crystal River High
Monday, August 6th 5:30 – 7:00 pm FRESHMAN only

Lecanto High
Tuesday, August 7th FRESHMAN and new students only
8:00am – 11:30 am

OTHER

Academy of Environmental Science
Thursday, August 2nd, 4:00 pm
College of Central Florida Lecanto Campus

CREST
Monday, August 6th 2:00 to 6:00 pm

Renaissance Center
Monday, August 6th 3:00 – 6:00 pm

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