Thursday, August 31st at 1pm:
After receiving the latest update from Emergency Management officials and having assessed the damages in our facilities sustained from Hurricane Idalia, we are pleased to share that schools will be reopen Friday, September 1st.
Obviously, there is some debris cleanup, but thankfully, no impact to our school structures.
Should you have any issues or concerns, please contact the administration at your school. As always, thank you for your
flexibility, understanding, and patience during these uncertain times.
Wednesday, August 30th at 10:30am:
Due to the ongoing coastal impact in our county of Hurricane Idalia, many of our schools are continuing to be used as shelters. ๐๐ฌ ๐ ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฅ๐ญ, ๐ฌ๐๐ก๐จ๐จ๐ฅ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ฅ๐ฅ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ง๐๐๐ฅ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐ญ๐จ๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ๐ซ๐จ๐ฐ, ๐๐ก๐ฎ๐ซ๐ฌ๐๐๐ฒ, ๐๐ฎ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐๐๐ฌ๐ญ. After the next high tide this afternoon, we will have more information from the Emergency Management Officials regarding the closure of shelters and a projected date
of school reopening.
Once the school district has received more information, we will let families know. Please take all necessary precautions to ensure your safety and your family's safety.
Monday, August 28th at 11am
The Citrus County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) has issued a local state of emergency in preparation for Hurricane Idalia. A mandatory evacuation order is in effect for identified affected areas within Citrus County until further notice. The order applies to Evacuation Zone A, which includes all low-lying areas west of U.S. Highway 19 and some areas additional areas east of U.S. Highway 19. All other areas are advised to voluntary evacuate, especially those citizens living in mobile homes, manufactured homes, and recreational vehicles throughout the county.
The following general population shelter locations will open at 1:00 p.m. on Monday, August 28:
- Central Ridge Elementary, 185 West Citrus Springs Blvd., Citrus Springs
- Citrus High School, 600 W Highland Blvd, Inverness
The following shelters will be opening at 4:00 p.m.:
- 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)
Public shelters should be an option of last resort. Citizens should make all preparations to shelter with family or friends and exhaust all other options before utilizing a public shelter. Those requiring transport to a shelter should contact Citrus County Transit Services at (352) 527-7630, option 1. Sexual offenders must report to the Citrus County Detention Facility to seek shelter if needed. The facility is located at 2604 W Woodland Ridge Dr., Lecanto, FL 34461.
Non-essential county offices will remain closed through Wednesday, August 30. All Citrus County schools, the Clerk of the Circuit Court, and DOH-Citrus will also be closed through Wednesday.
For more information and updates, call the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office Citizen Information Line at (352) 249-2775, or visit: www.facebook.com/CitrusCountyBOCC.
Sunday, August 27th at 5pm
We continue to monitor the approach of Tropical Storm Idalia along with our partners at the Emergency Operations Center. Although the forecast track is uncertain; however, Idalia is expected to become a hurricane Monday.
Emergency Operation officials have mandated the opening of our schools as shelters starting tomorrow Monday, August 28th in the afternoon. Therefore, we will be on a half day schedule for Monday, August 28th.
Dismissal for Elementary: 12:35pm
Dismissal for Middle School: 11:20am
Dismissal for High Schools: 11:40am
All schools will be closed on Tuesday, August 29th and Wednesday, August 30th.
All after-school programs and extra-curricular activities are cancelled beginning Monday afternoon until further notice. As we continue to monitor the storm, we will update you as decisions are made.
We encourage you to stay up to date with local news reports; we will continue to update you through Skyward emails, texts, and phone calls, as well as our district social media pages.