Post Hurricane Michael

THANK YOU!!!

Photos of the Citrus County Schools District Marine Science Station following Hurriane Michael, Oct. 11, 2018, complements of Earnie Olsen, Supervisor of MSS.

Citrus County and our school district were spared from the destruction of Hurricane Michael. We pray for the those particularly in the Panhandle who were in the devastating path of this historic storm.  The community of Citrus County has so much to be thankful for this morning.

Citrus County Schools will return for school on Friday, October 12, 2018, as the scheduled half day already on the school calendar.

When the Sheriff and the County Emergency Operations Committee decides to open shelters for the citizens of Citrus County, it is our public schools in Citrus County that are converted into these emergency shelters and it is our School District administrators and staff that prepare, man and operate these shelters with support from the Sheriff’s office and county services.  It takes a great deal of preparation to prepare these schools to become shelters, and then back to schools.  Counties and communities around the state have different manners of providing and operating shelters.  In Citrus County, the task largely falls to the Citrus County School District, with the corporation from the Board of County and the Sheriff’s office.  Once again, I am so grateful and blessed that our family lives in this great community of Citrus County.

Special thanks to these vital individuals for the countless hours they have put in over the last many days!

• Cheri Cernich, Director of Risk Management and Steven Baumer, Coordinator of Risk Management; who tirelessly where at the Emergency Operations Center, also for their coordinating of the shelter management and operations.
• Jonny Bishop, Assistant Superintendent of Business and Support Services and Mike Mullen, Assistant Superintendent, School Operations, Scott Hebert, Chief Academic Officer; overseeing operations of all school district operations, emergency and shelter planning.
• Marilyn Famer, Director of Transportation; coordinating and planning of all school transportation and contingency transportation for emergency planning.
• Roy Pistone, Director of Food Services; coordinating and planning of food needs for shelters and coordinating the storing and planning of school food needs.
• Eric Stokes, Director of Facilities, Construction and Maintenance and Dave Vientos, District Facilities Specialist and the entire district and school facilities teams; shelter preparation, operations and restoration of shelters back to schools.
• All the School Administrators and staff; for manning and operating of shelters
• Athletic/Activity Directors at schools; for the extensive rescheduling and replanning of sporting and activities at our schools.
• Earnie Olsen, Supervisor of Marine Science Station; for caretaking of the MSS and for providing detailed expert weather analysis to assist the school district with planning and preparation.
• Larry Brock and Citrus County Road Department; for assisting with the restoration of road access to our facilities.
• The AMAZING custodial staff at our shelter schools; These are the “unsung” heroes of the Citrus County School District who have been working together before, during and following the hurricane.
• Citrus County Sheriff Office, deputies and staff; for the continual protection, shelter support, and weather coverage.
• Nature Coast EMS; for the continual protection and shelter support
• Citrus Health Department; special needs shelter support and manning
• Citrus County Animal Services Department; animal shelter support
• Citrus County School Board Members
• Citrus County Commissioners
• City Administrators and Councilperson of Inverness and Crystal River
• State Rep. Ralph Massullo and State Senator Wil Simpson
• And the great leadership of our Superintendent of Schools, Sandra “Sam” Himmel

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