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Schools
– Public, Private and Charter Academies
Seniors Allan
Castropas, Matthew Tringali, and Sneha Patel, with
Principal Kelly Tyler,
Lecanto
High School
“When I was accepted to West Point, I was both ecstatic and relieved.
All the hard work and prayers paid off. I can’t tell you how proud my
mom and dad were. Our dream came true.”
– Allan
Andrew Gilman,
11th grade, Emily Geistfeld, 11th,
Tiffany Davenport, 10th, Tenesha Vedder, 11th,
with Ed Stofchek, Principal, Academy of Environmental Science
“I remember my first
day of school here. The class went out on kayaks on the river for a
project and manatees swam by. I touched one as it came up to our kayak
and I started to cry. My family had just moved from Youngstown, Ohio,
with a foot of snow on the ground, where I would have never dreamed I
would be playing with a manatee during class.” – Emily
  
  
Preparing a child for life by providing the opportunity for
them to reach their fullest potential as well-rounded young people as
well as students, and in a safe environment, is what all parents want.
Why is Citrus
County, and the State of Florida, perhaps the most ideal place for a
child to go to school?
Citrus
County offers hard-to-imagine school choices for the
population size of our county, from
pre K-12 private school options to a Charter School that
specializes in marine sciences, as well as a
public school sponsored academy for students considering careers in healthcare. We live in a
community where people are still “neighborly” and “genuinely friendly.”
Kids are safe here. And Citrus County is Mecca for eco-tourism; living
on the “Nature Coast,” promotes a cooperative
relationship with nature, and our children embrace this unique part of
life.
The State of Florida
University System,
with its vast resources, may be the strongest in the country. Its
“Bright Futures Scholarship” program (available to public and
private school graduates) is so financially generous that top students
in Citrus County have a hard time passing up virtually free
tuition, room and board, and books vs. the
rising expenses of going to
school out-of-state. Florida parents can
invest in the
“Florida Pre-Paid College Tuition Program,” which basically
freezes today’s tuition and living expenses cost when your child
enters college.
Florida Community
Colleges, including our Central Florida Community College,
virtually ensure acceptance into state 4-year universities
upon graduating from their 2-year associate degree programs. The
schools provide a cost-effective alternative as well as curriculums for
non-traditional students.
Teachers and Schools
Classes with Kayaks
How cool is it to get
high school course credit for hanging out with pelicans, spending time
on the water conducting experiments, designing and upkeep of a fish
hatchery, and classrooms over looking the Gulf of
Mexico? As perhaps the most unique public charter school in the
country, students with an interest in marine or environmental sciences
can apply and spend ˝ of their school years at the Academy of
Environmental Science, and then their entire senior year, with the
coolest high school students ever.
Click Here
to Learn More About School Credit for Swimming
with Dolphins and Manatees
Click on Image to View Brochure
“Citrus County
presents the best quality of life we have experienced. South Carolina
carries a strong aroma of the “Old South” that really makes it difficult
for new people to break in. Lexington, KY is a burgeoning college town
losing the battle of urban sprawl.”
Joel Satterly
Principal
Seven Rivers Christian School
(with seniors Nadia Vaughn, National Merit Scholar, Megan Olive,
and Cory Ludwick)
Seven Rivers Christian
School is a 360 student, pre-K-12 academy that “provides a Reformed
Christian education, emphasizing excellence in spiritual, academic,
physical, and social training of young people, preparing them to serve
their communities as worthy ambassadors for Christ.” The motto of the
school is “A Mind for Truth; a Heart for God.”
Collectively, the class
of 2005 (18 graduates) was offered $1,055,500 in scholarships
and grants (a whopping $58,500 per graduate). The impressive
credentials of the school continues with having 33% of its teachers with
masters degrees or above, testing scores
in the top 80% in the Iowa Test of Basic Skill (considered
one of the top national
academic standardized test). Seniors here consider matriculating into
the best colleges and
military academies.
Joel, his wife Carol,
and their children (Maggie, Kassie, and Timothy, all who attend Seven
Rivers Christian), moved here
from Rock Hill, SC.
His new hobby is golf and he says “there are a bunch of public courses
for me to hack.” He also enjoys reading, spending time with family, and
the many restaurants in the area. He loves the extended
fall season when our warm weather lingers into November.
“Major cities are close enough to enjoy their amenities but far enough
away to avoid the sprawl. Gulf beaches are also close at hand for a day
trip or a long weekend. The cost of living, including real estate, is
very reasonable. Our church provides a dynamic community for worship
and lifestyle. While this has always been a ‘sleepy’ area for retirees,
the continued exodus from the north and the new trend of people leaving
South Florida to come here, means 10 years from now we will have grown a
lot.
  
Click Here
to Meet
Nadia, Megan, and Cory
 
 
The fast-growing
Lecanto Educational Complex
“I’d put my
graduates up against any high school in the state.”
Kelly Tyler
Principal
Lecanto
High School
(with
secretary Susan)
The Lecanto Educational
Complex is the former community college campus and
maintains all of the schools that comprise the Lecanto public
schools, located nearer to the center of Citrus County, which means a
child can attend the campus from elementary through high school. Kelly
has been at LHS since 1983 when it opened with 600 students, and the
high school as now grown to 1,700. 16 new
classrooms will be added next
year to meet
growth needs.
The Lecanto Educational
Complex is just down the street from the new campus for Central Florida
Community College, which makes it very convenient for the excelling high
school students to be dual enrolled in college classes, and combined
with AP college-credit courses, it is not unusual for Lecanto HS
graduates to enter college as sophomores.
According to Kelly,
Lecanto High School is the only high school in the county to have won
state championships in sports: cross country track, girls softball, and
most recently boys soccer. Last year, Lecanto High School graduates
matriculated into the best schools in the country, including the Naval
Academy, Duke, and Harvard. Terry is also a big proponent of the
community college route to university life – it is less expensive by a
long way, and students earn the same university credits.
“The 3 high schools in Citrus County are all good schools. We offer
student art programs, AP classes, vocational programs are top notch, and
there is always money – we’re never in debt. Teacher salaries are
competitive, and families moving to the area can expect a sound, quality
education in a safe environment. There are no negative sides to living
in Citrus County – it’s the perfect spot.”
Click Here to Meet Some of Terry’s Star Graduating Seniors
from Lecanto HS
Pope John Paul II Catholic School
Over 250 Pre-K through
8th grade students experience a faith-based education which
is solidly focused on skills and competencies needed to succeed in an
ever changing and challenging society. Central to the curriculum is an
emphasis on the arts, music, creativity, critical thinking, computer
skills, physical and social development. Pope John Paul II Catholic
School is fully accredited and graduates have the choice of attending 2
Catholic High Schools in border counties.
  
 
Dr. Lou E.
Whitaker
Principal
Pope John Paul II Catholic School
“We are a small growing community, but a big family.”
Judy Powell
Program Director
Academy
of Health Careers
(with Crystal River High School Principal Pat Simon)
Students throughout
Citrus County with the desire to be in the healthcare profession may
apply to this unique academy, based on the campus of Crystal River High
School. With approximately 160 students, the Academy of Health Careers
starts 9th graders with basic medical skills and services
courses, in 10th grade hands-on anatomy and physiology
classes are integrated into the curriculum, by 11th grade
classes such as Nursing Assistant and Health Science classes offer
internships at Seven Rivers RMC, and seniors are offered electives as
well as college preparatory courses.
According to Judy, who
has been with the program since its inception in 1993 and has graduated
hundreds of students (currently about 160 a year attend the academy), the
academy is both a wholly unique school and an incredible “hands on”
college preparatory introduction to a career in the medical field,
whether students desire a career as a nurse, imaging professional,
paramedic, or physician.
Judy and her husband
Jim, a retired computer programmer, have lived throughout the United
States, from Hawaii to Oklahoma, and their kids are scattered throughout
the country. Judy is a surfer and at this stage of her life she says
she’s glad she is still able to "get out in that water and hang ten!”
“As the community continues to grow, the standards will keep increasing.
Property values are rising, and people are moving in from all over the
country. We are growing socio-economically as more and more well-to-do
families move here desiring a better quality of life
and schools.”
Judy, with senior Hal Jaquith
Hal moved here
from
Saudi Arabia after his father retired, where he attended an
American school. He has a 3.9 GPA and plans to attend private Flagler College in
St. Augustine, FL, next fall. Hal plans to be a paramedic after
college.
Click on Image to View Brochure
“The area is growing but still has that small town feeling.”
Mark McCoy
Principal
Crystal River Middle School
(with 7th grader Ashley)
As a 16-year teacher in
the school system, Mark is principal over 850 students at Crystal River
Middle School for 6-8th grade. One of the most popular
teachers and a former sports coach, he says he always bumps into
students and their families when he is out in the community, and that is
his and his wife Claudia’s favorite part of their careers (Claudia
teaches at Rock Crusher Elementary School).
Their daughter Madeline
goes to school with Mark and is active in dance. She attends all the
camps each year: Art Camp sponsored by Lecanto HS, Archeology Camp, and
the Environmental Camp at the Homosassa Wildlife Park. The family’s
favorite thing to do is be out on the water on their boat, and coming
from Upstate New York, Mark
says “The best time of the year is any day the sun is shining, which
fortunately is about 355 days a year!”
  
“Once we became a
family, I told my husband that I wanted to return to
the Crystal River area
because the schools were among the best in Florida.”
Edith "Edie" Speight
Principal
Crystal River Primary School
Originally from
Mt.
Pleasant, Michigan, Edie and her husband Don have been in our area since
the mid 1980s, and Edie has been teaching our youngsters since then.
When asked to give an example of the charm that exists here, she points
to how a local community coalition meets once a month to improve what is
available for young people.
She calls ensuring kids
get the best education possible as a “big responsibility” and boasts
that Crystal River Primary School (grades K-6) has two tech labs which
are state-of-the-art, and has
one of the largest elementary media centers in
the district.
When we asked her what
she might say to someone considering moving to the area
she replied: “Welcome to the best community in Florida. What can I
do to help you feel
at home?”
“We are great fans
of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and the Devil Rays baseball team. We
have outstanding local theater and concerts. I enjoy reading and
boating; the rivers around this area are beautiful and still have plenty
of fish. My favorite time of year is summer, because we enjoy more boating.”
Central Florida
Community College,
with 2-year Nursing Program,
the Withlacoochee Technical Institute, and our
Marine Science Station:
|
Vernon
Lawter, Provost, Community College |
Hugh
Adkins,
Director, Marine Science Stn |
Welding class at Withlacoochee Tech
Community, Technical Colleges,
and the Marine Science Station
The Compelling Value of
the University of
Florida System:
Not only is
our state university system perhaps the best in the country, tuition
rates ranked lowest of all 50
US
states in 2007! With the influx of new residents to our state and the
revenue generated from our increasing population, the State of Florida
has seen fit to channel resources to provide our residents compelling
value in education.
Another reason to choose us is knowing if your children are accepted into
Florida state universities, you will save thousands vs. other states!
Tampa Tribune,
June 4, 2007
Click Here
 
 
 
 
State Universities include flagships UF and FSU, 2 of the most prominent public
universities in the country, among growing
state universities in every part of Florida
“I would never trade my childhood for anything in the world. We had it
all. If we got tired of swimming, we would transfer over to the
Maynard’s and jump on a wet trampoline. We didn't need cars, we had
bikes and skates. We were a team, we would never fight – we would just
play; that's what we did best. Even with the age difference, varying
from 7 to 14. This was the time of my life, I couldn't have wished for
a better neighborhood. Looking back brings tears to my eyes. I know all
of us can look back to the time we were kids and think about how much
that changed the lives we are still about to live.”
--Cory, Crystal River High School, son of KC Nayfield, in Our
Community
Excerpted from his “King’s Bay Kids”
Supplemental:
The Citrus County Public School system consists of 3 high schools:
Crystal River, Citrus, and Lecanto HS. Citrus County Schools:
www.citrus.k12.fl.us
Florida Pre-Paid College
Tuition Program:
www.florida529plans.com/
Academy of Environmental Science:
www.environmental-school.org
Seven Rivers Christian
School:
www.sevenrivers.org
Pope John Paul II Catholic School:
www.pjp2.net
Withlacoochee Tech:
http://www.wtionline.cc/
Central Florida CC:
http://citrus.cf.edu/
All photos
are original and were taken specifically for the purpose of this
presentation.
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