Marion County is a county located in the North Central region of the U.S. state of Florida. As of the 2020 census, the population was 375,908. Its county seat is Ocala. Marion County comprises the Ocala, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area. It includes part of Ocala National Forest, which also extends into three other counties.
Pasco County is a county located on the west central coast of the U.S. state of Florida. According to the 2020 census, the population was 561,691, making it the eleventh-most populous county in the state. Its county seat is Dade City, and its largest city is Zephyrhills. The county is named after Samuel Pasco.
Gainesville is the county seat of Alachua County, Florida, United States, and the most populous city in North Central Florida, with a population of 145,212 in 2022. It is the principal city of the Gainesville metropolitan area with a population of 350,903 in 2022.
Ocala is a city in and the county seat of Marion County, Florida, United States. Located in North Central Florida, the city's population was 63,591 as of the 2020 census, up from 56,315 at the 2010 census and making it the 43rd-most populated city in Florida. Ocala is the principal city of the Ocala metropolitan area, which had a population of 375,908 in 2020.
The Villages is a census-designated place (CDP) in Sumter and Marion counties in the U.S. state of Florida. It shares its name with a broader master-planned, age-restricted community that spreads into portions of Lake County. The overall development lies in central Florida, approximately 20 miles (32 km) south of Ocala and approximately 45 miles (72 km) northwest of Orlando. As of the 2020 census, the population of the CDP was 79,077.
Fort McCoy is an unincorporated community in Marion County, Florida, United States. It is situated northeast of Ocala and lies between the towns of Sparr and Eureka on County Road 316 and is directly north of Silver Springs on County Road 315. The community is part of the Ocala Metropolitan Statistical Area.
Vanguard High School is one of seven public high schools in Marion County, Florida. The school serves the northeast area of Ocala, Florida. Vanguard offers the International Baccalaureate program, which accepts students from across Marion County and from surrounding counties and accounts for approximately 25% of the student population. In addition to the IB Program, Vanguard High School is the home of the Future Educators Academy. Graduates of the Future Educators Academy have the opportunity to dual enroll and complete their AA degree upon high school graduation.
Lake Weir High School (LWHS) is a public high school located in unincorporated southeastern Marion County, Florida, United States. It is part of the Marion County School District and serves students residing in southeastern Marion County, including the Ocala National Forest, Silver Springs Shores and Summerfield. The school colors are purple and gold and its mascot is the hurricane.
Forest High School is a school near Ocala, Florida, United States. It has an EMIT (engineering) program. The school's colors are green and gold and the school mascot is the Wildcat. As of 2014, it had an enrollment of some 2,058.
Orange County Public Schools (OCPS) is the public school district for Orange County, Florida. It is based in the Ronald Blocker Educational Leadership Center in downtown Orlando. OCPS is the eighth-largest school district in the United States and the fourth-largest in Florida. The district serves about 209,000 students at 213 schools and is one of the largest employers in Central Florida with more than 25,000 team members. For 2024, the Florida Department of Education awarded OCPS with a district grade of A, previously earned in 2019 and in 2010.
The College of Central Florida (CF) is a public college with campuses in Marion, Citrus, and Levy counties. It is part of the Florida College System. Founded in 1957 as Central Florida Junior College, CF has grown to span three counties and include the Appleton Museum of Art and Vintage Farm.
Marion Oaks is an unincorporated community and census-designated place (CDP) in Marion County, Florida, United States. It is part of the Ocala Metropolitan Statistical Area. As of the 2020 census, the population was 19,034. The community is currently exploring becoming an incorporated city.
Belleview High School is a school located In Belleview, Florida. It serves the Belleview area and the southern part of Marion County, Florida. The school mascot is the Eastern Diamondback Rattlesnake, and the school colors are blue, silver, and white. The school offers an Advanced International Certificate of Education (AICE) program. The 80-acre (320,000 m2) campus has a stadium with seating for 2,000 people and a Gymnasium capable of holding 1,400 spectators.
Charlotte County Public Schools (CCPS) operates all public K-12 schools in Charlotte County, Florida. It covers Port Charlotte, Punta Gorda, Englewood, Rotonda West, Babcock Ranch, and surrounding areas. It operates ten elementary schools, four middle schools, three high schools, and six specialty education centers.
Port Charlotte High School (PCHS) is a public comprehensive U.S. high school located in Port Charlotte, Florida and is located adjacent to Charlotte Technical College. The school opened in 1981, graduated its first class in 1984, its mascot is the pirate, and the school motto is "Yes, I am a Pirate." It is operated by Charlotte County Public Schools.
Dunnellon High School is an American secondary school located in Dunnellon, FL. The school serves students from Marion, Levy and Citrus counties. The student population of 1050 is 58% majority and 42% minority. Dunnellon High School is served by two magnet programs: The Advanced Studies Program and The Power Generation Academy. The Advanced Studies Program is an academically accelerated program for students in Grades 9–12. Fifty students in each grade take Honors, Advanced Placement, and Dual Enrollment classes on the DHS campus. They also are assigned an adult mentor from the Administrative Team and participate in education and college field trips. The Power Generation Academy allows students to learn about the production of power and energy, from multiple sources. The program is supported by Duke Energy and is great for students interested in careers in engineering and power generation.
Marion County Public Schools (MCPS) is a public school district that covers Marion County, Florida. The district has its headquarters in Ocala, Florida.
Hampton Junior College, located in Ocala, Florida, opened its doors in 1958. It was one of eleven black community colleges which were founded, at the urging of the Florida Legislature, to show that a "Separate but equal" educational system for blacks existed in Florida; the Legislature wished to avoid the integration mandated by the Supreme Court's Brown v. Board of Education decision of 1954. At the time, the closest public college that would accept negroes was Florida A&M University, 175 miles away.
Howard Academy, at 306 NW 7th Avenue in Ocala, Florida, was a school for African-American children opened in 1866 or 1867 by the Freedmen's Bureau. Up until that time there had been no public and almost no private education for African Americans in Florida; education for slaves was prohibited by law and free blacks were made to feel unwelcome and encouraged to leave the state.
The East Florida Seminary was an institution of higher learning established by the State of Florida in 1853, and absorbed into the newly established University of Florida in 1905. The school operated in Ocala from 1853 until 1861. After being closed during the Civil War, the school re-opened in Gainesville, Florida in 1866.
