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Citrus County School Board to consider Space Florida academy partnership
Summary
At its June 10 meeting, a school district presenter said the board will consider approving a Space Florida Space Academy program to co-brand existing CTE pathways and expand STEM and career-training opportunities tied to the regional aerospace industry.
On June 10, a presenter at a Citrus County School Board meeting said the district will consider approving the Space Florida Space Academy program, a proposal to co-brand select existing career and technical education programs with Space Florida to give students credentials and industry experience.
“These are more than just programs. They're gateways to high demanding careers and life changing opportunities for our students,” the presenter said, describing the district’s recent expansion of STEM and CTE offerings and the proposed partnership with Space Florida.
The presenter said the proposal would link Citrus County Schools’ CTE programs with Space Florida and provide access to credentials and experience in industries including aerospace, advanced manufacturing, construction, cybersecurity, logistics and semiconductors. The remarks highlighted ongoing strategic partnerships with organizations tied to the Kennedy Space Center and the regional aerospace sector.
The presenter cited existing collaborations with the Astronauts Memorial Foundation and the Center for Space Education at the Kennedy Space Center, and noted that, with support from the Citrus County Education Foundation, the district brought “over 80 students and educators” to the College and Career Expo at the Center for Space Education last year. The presenter also said five Citrus County educators received full scholarships to attend the 2025 Spaceport Area Conference for educators at the Kennedy Space Center later this month.
The speaker credited district leadership for expanding career and technical education, saying, “Under the leadership of Dr. Keber, with the support of the school board, our district has expanded its focus in career and technical education and in STEM.” The presenter also referenced direction from Dr. Hebert in coordinating educator scholarships supported by the Astronauts Memorial Foundation and the district education foundation.
The board had not taken a formal vote in the portion of the meeting recorded in the transcript excerpt. The presenter said the board would consider approval of the Space Florida Space Academy program later in the meeting; no outcome was recorded in the provided transcript.
If approved, the program would formalize co-branding and expand access to industry credentials through Citrus County Schools’ existing CTE pathways, but specifics such as cost, contract terms and implementation timeline were not provided in the recorded remarks.
The district’s presentation framed the proposal as tied to the region’s long history in aerospace and space-related education, noting Florida’s multi-decade role in spaceflight and citing partnerships that bring students and teachers to Kennedy Space Center programs. The presenter described the proposed Space Florida affiliation as building on those partnerships and on recent industry-focused field experiences for students and educators.
The school board’s consideration of the Space Florida Space Academy program will appear on the remainder of the meeting agenda; the transcript excerpt does not record board debate, questions from members, or any formal action on the proposal.
