[{"_1":2,"_112":-5,"_113":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88,100],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6203783,"mediaKeyId","3781487-6352c65fdda3444b2bc56c61ad00e109","parentId",3781487,"title","Board agrees to revise dress‑code wording after debate over 'distracting' standard","audioSeconds",1925,"startMs",7234000,"endMs",9159000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3781487-6352c65fdda3444b2bc56c61ad00e109&start=7234&end=9159","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3781487-6352c65fdda3444b2bc56c61ad00e109/thumbnail_7234000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6203783/Florida/Board-agrees-to-revise-dresscode-wording-after-debate-over-distracting-standard","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6203783-bf509c1d0e72a7f8e76569cc7dbac9a6/orig.mp4?Expires=1771095184&Signature=TNqpDeUc2RU5R5AgQZvl2CLUmwleEtVUNbzxAToYwCQdyH2KkuIIRK~isJU9vFJ6Bk9xmNp1XNWDDbgJnqLUDsSxUsgDc~Dp5f1Q0xB~cQ1IDPyvE7r92QmqlbfKc5a8-qKjcXGSlP7uqkAhQKG0yFng6hlZQJywwmlJNjSlk~YOYXbzgjcGpAGR1yHGAKLPy5URMwAPzH4NgXxW77NE4t40-eaakMxTn97GyOw~EKhduJVjVz05q4oeQ6zOEKnzF0FxI7im6YII7nrA1OztaskMjIW61Ctcy8kx9OIPGYxfEh3WgkEB-Q-OGIZ-xpq3i2Ksz4nS6psn7vz5GA61nQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Citrus County School Board, FL","date","2025-06-12T09:08:09.963Z","article","The Citrus County School Board approved changes to the proposed student Code of Conduct that clarify dress and accessory rules after discussion about how the word \"distracting\" would be applied.

Assistant staff raised concerns that a standalone term like \"distracting\" could be ambiguous in enforcement. Board members and staff agreed to replace the single word with a phrase used elsewhere in the draft: \"causing disruption, distraction, or a safety hazard.\" The change was applied to clothing and accessory sections and to head‑covering language.

Why it matters: wording in student conduct policies affects enforcement consistency across schools and reduces the likelihood of subjective or uneven application of dress rules.

Details

Board staff said committee input and principal feedback showed concern about enforcement, especially for modern styles that may be tight or revealing yet common in the community. The code language change aims to give administrators a clearer rubric for discipline decisions.

Specifically, language about clothing was revised to state items that are too tight or too baggy and that \"cause disruption, distraction, or a safety hazard\" will not be permitted. The head‑covering paragraph was clarified to ban hats and head coverings in designated school areas except for recognized religious purposes.

Formal action

The board voted to advertise the public hearing for the revised Code of Conduct and approved the staff changes described above.

Quotes

\"Who's going to determine what 'distracting' means in a classroom?\" a board member asked; staff recommended the clarified phrase so principals and deans have defensible standards.

Ending

The Code of Conduct with the revised wording will be advertised for public hearing on the scheduled date; the board asked staff to ensure consistency across the document and to present the final clean copy for adoption after the public comment period.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","6/10/2025 School Board Meeting","oneSentenceSummary","The board approved advertising a revised student code of conduct to replace the single word 'distracting' with clearer language — 'causing disruption, distraction, or a safety hazard' — and to clarify head‑covering and tight‑clothing rules.","taxTitle","Citrus, School Districts, Florida","taxId",14352,"location","Florida","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6203788,"Citrus schools choose Focus for student information system; migration to take about a year",986,7399000,8385000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3781487-6352c65fdda3444b2bc56c61ad00e109&start=7399&end=8385","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3781487-6352c65fdda3444b2bc56c61ad00e109/thumbnail_7399000.jpg","/articles/6203788/Florida/Citrus-schools-choose-Focus-for-student-information-system-migration-to-take-about-a-year","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6203788-31533d557e56de41e1e46899c0f124c3/orig.mp4?Expires=1771095184&Signature=XhEjUKIfYkWEsIHl06yyh8m7cxOn1Rjw3g8QAPvJF1K1JaggJAqyXj0uIR57uYhWUXBa9DBiisCJDhSEjHFvFG99m0KjAO1IPYWIqleml8wpahi-l~GQBbyNydotUGnopKv70OXUIcdliSg1Q0nFcpZa7A~zh5LB1E3XEwPPjTbjFLpOEM4uqsAdPHkwGdQN0NwNDWeqQq720SmzikI0-N4xSKsOXiQfWHdK01h7AZAjY0E-7uGgMtl37kbeRKmBbWBcXSi6ZKsarWV2yPPPVGEypNKX-RGSykScMzdEXHa83mGNPqY1MwFvITmlqjT2D9PexT3mFKL0xMB9STxIZA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Citrus County School Board approved purchasing Focus as the district’s next student information system (SIS) and authorized a master student data privacy agreement at its June meeting.

District staff presented a multi‑stage review that compared Focus, PowerSchool, Skyward (current SIS) and other platforms. The committee — made up of teachers, counselors, principals, data staff and other stakeholders — rated Focus highest for a modern, Florida‑aware platform, unlimited data migration and built‑in early‑warning tools.

Why it matters: the change affects how teachers enter grades and how families register students; staff said the migration will require training and a parallel run of systems before full adoption in 2026–27.

Details from the review

District staff described Phase 1 and Phase 2 of their vendor review and sandbox testing. Advantages cited for Focus included daily updating early‑warning dashboards, an integration pathway for CTE and postsecondary data, a Florida presence that tracks state reporting requirements closely, and an unlimited migration offer that would allow the district to move its full historical record from Skyward rather than a truncated subset.

Staff proposed a phased migration beginning in July with data preparation and training, an approximately year‑long migration and a 2026–27 school‑year go‑live. During the transition teachers will continue to rely on the current gradebooks while training and data migration occur; staff said teachers will be trained in 2025–26 so they are ready for the 2026–27 switch.

Formal action

Board Member Frank moved to approve the master student data privacy agreement and the purchase of Focus; the motion passed by voice vote. Staff also noted the district will continue using Skyward for the business/back‑office functions at least during the migration.

Clarifying points and next steps

Staff emphasized that Focus’s Florida‑specific features and early‑warning dashboards were major reasons for the recommendation. The district will run both systems in parallel, train teachers and parents, and work to retire overlapping vendor products where appropriate once Focus is fully operational. Staff also highlighted potential longer‑term savings in servers and backup costs because Focus is cloud‑hosted.

Quotes

\"Focus was modern and user friendly… integrates with our CTE tools and will allow unlimited data migration,\" a staff presenter said.

Ending

The district will begin contract and migration work in July, train staff and parents during 2025–26 and target a full Focus go‑live for the 2026–27 school year.","After a multi‑vendor review, the Citrus County School Board approved a master student data privacy agreement and purchase of Focus student information software, with a projected one‑year migration and 2026–27 go‑live.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6203793,"Citrus County schools join Space Florida partnership to promote aerospace career pipelines",1152,6100000,7252000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3781487-6352c65fdda3444b2bc56c61ad00e109&start=6100&end=7252","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3781487-6352c65fdda3444b2bc56c61ad00e109/thumbnail_6100000.jpg","/articles/6203793/Florida/Citrus-County-schools-join-Space-Florida-partnership-to-promote-aerospace-career-pipelines","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6203793-eca7f162c21847df605a8aeacdd7a1db/orig.mp4?Expires=1771095184&Signature=ZspUsysg-8z3LEYrr-UUQ8nGrx4Qotv2IdCQkob1hvI~wpR7YeyrBY4pfBj376EyiB7sdAzJzcXQh6t9zmWySB3lUDM2z~owYqp8Xhquwb8L3lSZLsFyikshSY6Cx5SXveO~9wk6qAxn1gNAob~nzRlWc0gwgunEpOnbyT66562Xoq0ll7JDmzekLt7cMI2XcNHXRfTx84yixg8m-44qt8X~TIVzirdPMVxwoS7hP6FrDcZnLuLQL3HQPX7fLhXePnTHHvAckaxbK5Len6UGiPlj3HsRWdXCeI3-kGeT4Xw5IAwVHQacAT6KrYuft8kmlqy1evaqDSExKFl-Kcoong__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Citrus County School Board approved a memorandum of understanding with Space Florida to affiliate the district with the state’s aerospace economic development agency and promote local career and technical education pathways tied to aerospace industries.

The board’s approval establishes a no‑cost affiliation that district leaders and Space Florida said will help the district promote existing programs, attract industry partnerships and organize students’ career credentials so local employers can discover qualified candidates.

Why it matters: School leaders said the MOU positions Citrus County to highlight and expand career pathways — welding, drafting, cybersecurity, HVAC and other CTE courses — that Space Florida and aerospace suppliers identified as useful to the state’s growing space economy.

Discussion and details

Assistant superintendent and CTE lead Kevin Bittner introduced the MOU and said Citrus will join neighboring counties that already have Space Florida affiliations. \"This MOU is primarily about the co‑branding of Space Florida with select and existing acquiring companies and industry partners,\" he said.

Karen Hoffman, representing Space Florida, told the board the partnership is designed to raise Citrus County’s profile with aerospace employers, to help local students access credentialing and to encourage suppliers to consider relocating or working with local CTE programs. Hoffman said Space Florida will also endorse district requests to state decision‑makers that align to regional workforce needs.

District staff described an employer portal under development that would let students opt in anonymously and allow industry partners to identify candidates by credentials rather than full resumes. Officials said the portal is intended to connect credentialed graduates to regional employers and suppliers in aerospace and defense supply chains.

Formal action

Board Member Jason Kennedy moved to approve the MOU; the motion was seconded and the board voted to adopt the agreement. The MOU carries no direct cost for the district.

What remains

District leaders said the affiliation does not require immediate course additions but is intended to grow organically alongside existing CTE offerings. Staff said they would produce a fact sheet for the public describing how local courses map to the Space Florida Academy designation and listed early program matches at the district’s three high schools.

Quotes

\"This partnership between Space Florida and Citrus County is — the school board is priceless,\" said Karen Hoffman, noting the state agency’s interest in growing local aerospace supplier networks.

\"Whether they go into aerospace or set up their own business, that's the purpose,\" said Hoffman's colleague, noting the partnership's focus on employability credentials.

Ending

Board members said they expected the affiliation to help market Citrus County’s CTE programs to employers and students. The MOU now authorizes district staff to move forward with Space Florida‑branded outreach and to work with industry on apprenticeship and credentialing opportunities.","The school board approved a no‑cost memorandum of understanding with Space Florida to co‑brand and expand aerospace-related career and technical education pathways in Citrus County.",{"_33":101,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":102,"_41":103,"_43":104,"_45":105,"_47":106,"_49":107,"_51":108,"_53":109,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":110,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":111,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6203798,"Citrus County board approves short-term SRO funding amendment, separates operational and financial agreements",1988,2918000,4906000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3781487-6352c65fdda3444b2bc56c61ad00e109&start=2918&end=4906","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3781487-6352c65fdda3444b2bc56c61ad00e109/thumbnail_2918000.jpg","/articles/6203798/Florida/Citrus-County-board-approves-short-term-SRO-funding-amendment-separates-operational-and-financial-agreements","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6203798-faf7ede04e6924ca222ba060cc4f7027/orig.mp4?Expires=1771095184&Signature=WBJgh7eB9X0DK3oexSmFDWlgpYAkJNk3VUG9oKNQiw0GZThzGFZyyZyd7zFZFs7ne5JA4dmz5nvzlX5~Fy93eDwr~svqbjkc-3m9KCEac~iGiVytQLzRWXcON-Y65LbXdLDmILhUV6CF2jcQL51UQBCPics5GXUvN21JC9Km7QY8XQAe5LOCUob7jvF7qZ4MVYAWH4bkv-kI1PjQbFIl0ecQ7noankXAQDsz6Fyojbck9VBZfSiglNpfdXqIsmVx1~qKFGeKL7AXx58edLCSnJsY5MpOlNtzH3yeDWqCz6zMwebu~MGKIv9uwskm19Ss329aSWa-CqMKDC0YXEdRrw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Citrus County School Board voted to approve a quarter‑four amendment to its 2024–25 SRO financial arrangement and separately adopted a 2025–26 SRO operational agreement with the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office, board members said at the June meeting.

Sheriff Mike Vincent told board members the quarter amendment covers the three months from July 1 to Sept. 30 and is an interim step while the parties align contract years so future SRO funding runs on the county fiscal cycle (Oct. 1–Sept. 30). Vincent said the short-term amendment reduces estimated costs for that quarter from about $803,000 last year to about $689,000 under the proposed amendment.

The operational agreement adopted by the board spells out duties, training and programs linked to the SRO role. The separate financial amendment clarifies the county’s and the school board’s monthly contributions for the quarter — figures Vincent and staff read into the record — and sets up a single annual financial contract to be presented later this year for the Oct. 1 fiscal cycle.

Why it matters: the split between an operational memorandum and a separate financial contract is meant to make the SRO program more transparent across the three entities that fund it — the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office, the Board of County Commissioners and the school board — and to lock the county’s contribution into the sheriff’s general fund budget going forward.

Discussion and details

Sheriff Vincent told the board he asked county leaders to restore the school‑safety line item to the sheriff’s general fund so future budget increases for the sheriff’s office would automatically include the SRO program and stabilize funding. “For me…getting that line item back into my budget really secures the future for this program,” Vincent said during his remarks.

Vincent and staff read a proposed breakdown for the short quarter: a combined monthly payment of about $229,923.34, described in the amendment as comprised of a Board of County Commissioners contribution of $117,740.86 and a Citrus County School Board contribution of $112,182.48. The sheriff said he expects additional financial documentation for the fiscal‑year contract in September.

Board members questioned coverage gaps when deputies are absent. Superintendent Scott Hebert and Sheriff Vincent discussed using the district’s guardian program as elementary‑level backfill for vacancies so SROs can prioritize secondary campuses. Vincent said a deputy’s fully loaded annual cost is roughly $135,000 while a guardian position with benefits is about $48,000, and described the guardian option as a pragmatic way to stretch staffing and reduce the number of school hours currently covered by supervisors or other deputies.

The board also asked for data on past absences; Chief Montgomery (not in attendance) provided an estimate later in the meeting that about 1,700 SRO hours were covered by sergeants, court officers and bailiffs during the 2023–24 school year.

Formal action

The board approved the operational agreement and the modified quarter‑four financial amendment at the meeting. The motion language on the short‑term financial amendment was amended during discussion to explicitly state each party’s contribution; board members voted in favor of the revised amendment and the operational agreement.

What remains

Sheriff Vincent said the one‑time quarter amendment is a temporary measure; the sheriff’s office will present a full October‑to‑September financial contract for SRO operations in the coming months. Vincent also signaled a priority to expand the guardian program if the county and school district choose to direct some of the program savings into additional guardian positions that could provide more consistent elementary coverage.

Quotes

\"For me, getting that line item back into my budget really secures the future for this program,\" Sheriff Mike Vincent said.

\"We all know the importance of that stable person at a school that's there every day,\" Superintendent Scott Hebert said as the board discussed coverage and continuity.

Ending

Board members said they were encouraged by the revised funding language and the prospect of a longer‑term financial agreement in September. The operational agreement will remain in effect unless state or local mandates require changes, while the fiscal contract will return to the board for approval on an Oct. 1–Sept. 30 basis.","The Citrus County School Board approved a three-month amendment to its school resource officer (SRO) financial arrangement and adopted a standing operational agreement with the Citrus County Sheriff’s Office, while discussing guardian staffing, coverage gaps and longer-term budget realignment.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Board agrees to revise dress‑code wording after debate over 'distracting' standard

Citrus schools choose Focus for student information system; migration to take about a year

Citrus County schools join Space Florida partnership to promote aerospace career pipelines

Citrus County board approves short-term SRO funding amendment, separates operational and financial agreements