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

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.