Galaxy Of Stars 2022
Posted on 01/18/2022
Teacher of the Year

Citrus County Schools is proud to announce Kelly Filipic, an instructional coach at Lecanto Middle School, as Citrus County Schools “Teacher of the Year” for 2023 and Nicholas Catto, an ESE paraprofessional at CREST School, as School-Related Employee of the Year for 2022. 

Superintendent Sam Himmel announced both winners among their family and peers during the annual Galaxy of the Stars event, held virtually again this year, hosted by the Citrus County Education Foundation.  Both were chosen from a group of finalists who were all recognized during the ceremony.

Ms. FilipicMrs. Filipic has been teaching for the Citrus County School District for 15 years. Kelly's incredible work ethic and strong organizational skills are critical in her position as she manages multiple tasks at any given moment. She consistently builds strong relationships with her students, their families, and colleagues, allowing her to positively impact the school climate and student achievement.  LMS Principal Inge Frederick provided a Theodore Roosevelt quote that she believes describes Kelly perfectly - "People don't care how much you know unless they know how much you care." Lecanto Middle School's students and staff know Kelly cares!


Mr. CattoMr. Catto has been making a difference in the lives of young students in Citrus County for the past six years and currently serves as an ESE paraprofessional, where he works with some of the most challenging students on campus while pursuing an education degree from Central State University.  Nick has proven himself to be irreplaceable in many ways. He builds strong relationships with his students and peers by providing advice and guidance.  CREST Principal Lee Mulder states, "Mr. Catto never waivers in his commitment to our students, school, and district. He goes beyond the call of duty daily. He works with a very diverse group of students and helps them find success in the most challenging situations."

We would like to thank the Citrus County Education Foundation for their continuous support for this event.  It’s because of the foundation and their sponsors that this event is fully funded by the foundation at no cost to the district.

Thanks to one of this year’s A+ sponsors, Jenkins Auto Group, our 2023 Teacher of the Year was generously gifted a brand new 2021 Jeep!   

We are so proud that these two wonderful employees will be representing the Citrus County School District!