Pace Center for Girls in Marion County to close in December

PACE Center For Girls Marion is shown on Northeast First Avenue in Ocala, Fla. on Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025. [Bruce Ackerman/Ocala Gazette] 2025.

After more than two decades serving local students, the Pace Center for Girls of Marion County will close its doors on Dec. 19, due to “the myriad of challenges facing this center,” according to an announcement from the organization.

“This decision was incredibly difficult and made only after a thorough evaluation of our center’s health including enrollment, staffing, academic outcomes, and financial sustainability,” said Yessica Cancel, interim CEO of Pace Center for Girls, in a press release issued Nov. 5.

“We first shared this news directly with the girls and families we serve, our dedicated staff and trusted partners—those closest to our mission. Their support and understanding have been invaluable during this transition,” she said.

Founded in 1985, Pace Center for Girls operates in multiple Florida counties and claims to have served more than 40,000 girls statewide, providing trauma-informed academic and counseling support that has been recognized nationally.

According to the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice, the Pace Center for Girls is “a nationally recognized 501(c)(3) day program offering year-round counseling, academic and life skills services for girls ages 12–17 who are at-risk of entering the juvenile justice system, failing or dropping out of school, running away or experiencing difficulty at home.”

Marion County Public Schools Interim Superintendent Dr. Danielle Brewer confirmed that the district has begun notifying the schools where the 56 enrolled students are zoned that the girls will be returning to public schools in January.

The organization said it will continue to help families connect to other local mental health and youth services as the Marion program winds down.

The closure affects the program’s physical location and its employees. Pace officials said they will continue to provide academic instruction, case management, and counseling through Dec. 19, while working with the Marion County School District to transition students back to their home schools after winter break.

“Our priority has always been the girls,” Cancel said. “We are working closely with families and school partners to make sure each girl continues her educational journey with the support she needs.”

The closing is happening amid a substantially increasing number of juvenile detentions in Marion.

As previously reported, Marion County detains juveniles for more days than every other Florida county except for Duval and Broward, despite having a smaller population. Some officials think Marion may soon be first in the state.

Detentions of Marion County juveniles at the Marion County Juvenile Detention Center have quadrupled since 2022-23, and the cost to Marion County taxpayers for incarcerating juveniles has risen more than three times from $1.3 million annually to $4.3 million, according to data from the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice.

Difficult decision after years of challenges

The Marion County Pace center received annual revenues of about $338,736, according to the organization’s 2023–2024 financial report with Marion County School District. Of that, 93.7% came from state and local sources and 6.3% from federal funds. The organization also received funds from private donors.

According to the nonprofit’s last 990 tax filing with the IRS, the organization operated “a statewide network of 21 Pace centers that provide the full academic school day and comprehensive wrap-around services, Pace annually helps more than 3,000 girls get back on track to graduate from high school,” with annual revenue exceeding $57 million.

Forty-three percent of the organization’s revenue came from the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice.

Pace currently operates in the Florida counties of Alachua, Broward, Citrus, Clay, Collier, Duval, Escambia-Santa Rosa, Hernando, Hillsborough, Lee, Leon, Manatee, Marion, Miami-Dade, Orange, Palm Beach, Pasco, Pinellas, Polk, St. Lucie, And Volusia-Flagler, Georgia counties of Macon and Peach, and South Carolina counties of Florence and Darlington.

For questions about the transition, families may contact [email protected].