TAMPA, Fla. — As a tropical disturbance is set to rapidly intensify in the Gulf of Mexico, school districts in the Tampa Bay area are beginning to announce the cancellation of classes due to forecast impacts.
Hillsborough County
Hillsborough County Public Schools will close all schools Wednesday through Friday, September 25 through 27, in anticipation of the storm. In addition, all after-school programs, athletics, and extracurricular activities are canceled for this Wednesday and Thursday. No decision about Friday has been made at this time.
Pasco County
All Pasco County schools and district offices will now be closed on Thursday, September 26, 2024, and Friday, September 27, 2024. As of right now, the district plans to resume normal operations on Monday, September 30, 2024.
Hernando County
Hernando County schools and district offices will remain closed through Friday. The county expects students and staff to return on Monday.
Pinellas County
STORM UPDATE: Pinellas County Schools and Offices will be CLOSED Thurs. 9/26 and Fri. 9/27. Visit www.pcsb.org/weather for more.
All sports and school activities scheduled for Thursday, September 26 are canceled. Staff will assess all district facilities on Friday, September 27, to determine when activities can resume at each campus.
Monday, October 14, a designated hurricane make-up day, will now be a student school day for all Pinellas County Schools in order to make up for instructional time lost during this week. Additional make-up days, if needed, will be determined at a later date.
We will continue to monitor the storm and any impact it has on Pinellas County. All updates will be posted on the district's weather page , www.pcsb.org/weather,and on social media, including the district’s Facebook, X, Instagram, and LinkedIn accounts.
For storm shelter and preparation information, please visit https://storm.pinellascounty.org/.
Citrus County
Citrus County Schools announced Tuesday that schools will be closed on Thursday, Sept. 26 and Friday, Sept. 27.
The school district said some of its schools will be used as hurricane shelters, and in preparation of the storm, all of its schools will be closed after its scheduled half-day on Wednesday, Sept. 25.
After-school programs and extra-curricular activities are cancelled Sept. 25 - 27. The YMCA before and after-school programs will follow this schedule as well.
Manatee County
Working closely with the Manatee County Emergency Operations Center, forecasts for Hurricane Helene indicate the storm will continue to impact our area into late tonight and possibly overnight. In addition, three of our schools continue to serve as shelters for residents in need of assistance until the storm passes. Two other district sites have also been made available to emergency responders from other agencies.
Based on that information, all schools will be closed tthrough Friday, September 27th, to allow schools serving as shelters to complete their operations and to give district maintenance teams time to examine all of our campuses for possible damage.
All athletic events and other extra-curricular activities originally scheduled for Friday, September 27th are canceled. Many of these events will be rescheduled to Saturday, September 28th, or later. School Principals will inform their school communities about updated schedules. In limited circumstances, High School Principals are authorized to permit non-public, voluntary athletic practices to resume at or after 3 p.m. Friday.
We are planning to resume all normal school operations on Monday, September 30th.
Get the latest from Manatee County Schools.
Polk County
In a statement, the school system said: "As the storm progresses, we anticipate that Polk County will begin experiencing rain bands and winds between 8 p.m. and 10 p.m. on Wednesday evening. The current forecast indicates that our county may face tropical storm conditions from Thursday morning through 2 a.m. on Friday.
"As a precaution, we have made the decision to close all PCPS schools and offices on Thursday, Sept. 26, and Friday, Sept. 27.
"This decision is driven by our commitment to the safety of our students and staff. The uncertainty surrounding the storm's trajectory necessitates that we allow our teams adequate time to assess the condition of our campuses and facilities, ensuring they are safe for reopening.
"We plan to resume normal operations on Monday, Sept. 30."
To read the entire statement, click here.
Diocese of St. Petersburg to Close Catholic Schools and Offices
Keeping in mind the safety of students, faculty, and employees, Bishop Gregory Parkes has called for the closing of all Catholic Schools and Early Childhood Centers in the Diocese of St. Petersburg due to Helene. All schools and Pastoral Center offices will close on Thursday, Sept. 26. This includes Catholic schools in Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, Hernando, and Citrus Counties.
This decision will enable school families and employees time to prepare their homes or leave the area in preparation for the storm. Information about a reopening date is to be determined.
COLLEGES
Florida State University
Florida State University’s Tallahassee campus will close on Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024, due to Helene.
The closure begins at 7 a.m. ET Wednesday, Sept. 25, and will continue until 11 p.m. ET Sunday, Sept. 29. The university expects to resume normal business operations at 12:00 a.m. Monday, Sept. 30, 2024. The Marine Lab at Turkey Point will also be closed on these dates. If changes to operations are needed at other campus locations, targeted communications will follow.
University of South Florida
The University of South Florida is continuing to closely monitor Helene. Based on the latest weather information, the university today announced that all classes are canceled beginning on Wednesday, Sept. 25, and will not resume until Monday, Sept. 30.
In addition, all USF campuses will be closed beginning on Wednesday, Sept. 25 and will remain closed through at least Friday, Sept. 27. As of now, the university expects to reopen campuses and return to normal business operations (without classes) on Saturday, Sept. 28. A final decision on the operating status for Saturday, Sept. 28, will be shared with the university community on Friday, Sept. 27.
Residence halls on the Tampa and Sarasota-Manatee campuses remain open. Residence halls in St. Petersburg will close beginning on Wednesday, Sept. 25. USF St. Petersburg residential students without a place to stay will be transported to the Tampa campus.
USF Health clinical facilities will be open on Wednesday, Sept. 25 and will be closed on Thursday, Sept. 26. A decision about Friday, Sept. 27, has not been made at this time. USF Health patients may call the USF Health appointments hotline at 813-821-8038 to reschedule.
Students, faculty and staff are urged to plan carefully, follow local weather reports and monitor updates from county and state emergency management officials.
Florida A&M University
Florida A&M University (FAMU) says: "Out of an abundance of caution, classes will be canceled beginning today at 12:15 p.m. through Friday, Sept. 27. All academic operations will be suspended to accommodate any potential disruptions caused by the storm. All academic deans and faculty members are asked to work closely with students and provide maximum flexibility during this time."
FAMU Athletics announced Tuesday that the football team's upcoming game against Alabama A&M, initially scheduled for this weekend, has been rescheduled due to the impending arrival of Hurricane Helene. The game will occur on Friday, November 29, at Ken Riley Field at Bragg Memorial Stadium.
Hillsborough Community College
HCC announced its campuses will be closing at noon on Wednesday, Sept. 25 and will remain closed through the weekend. All classes and campus activities are cancelled.
University of Tampa
University of Tampa officials announced Tuesday that all school activities, events, non-essential operations and classes will be cancelled from Wednesday, Sept. 25 through Friday, Sept. 27. Limited activities and services will be available beginning Saturday, Sept. 28 with the expectation of resuming full campus operations on Monday, Sept. 30, officials said.
Polk State College
Polk State College continues to closely monitor Helene. The College and the collegiate high schools will remain open Wednesday until 5 p.m. but will be closed Thursday and Friday due to the storm. The closure affects all College operations including online and remote classes. The College will reopen for classes on Saturday, September 28.
Saint Leo University
Saint Leo University officials have made the decision to cancel classes and close the following locations from Wednesday, September 25, through Friday, September 27, in response to Helene:
University Campus (33701 County Road 52, St. Leo, FL 33574) - the residential and commuter campus in Pasco County
Tampa Education Center (1403 N. Howard Ave., Tampa, FL 33607)
Center for Adult Learning (University Campus and Pasco-Hernando State College locations)
Students and employees at these locations should not report to class or work from September 25 through September 27.
St. Petersburg College
SPC, working closely with the College’s Emergency Management Team and Pinellas County emergency officials, will close on Wednesday, Sept. 25, through Thursday, Sept. 26. All campuses and offices will be closed during this time. Scheduled activities during these days also are canceled.
What you should do:
1. Review your personal emergency plan and prepare for potential storm impacts.
1. Bookmark SPC’s Emergency Preparedness website for the latest updates: spcemergency.com
1. Ensure your access to MySPC is active for any updates or adjustments to your classes or college services.
1. Add SPC’s Emergency Line to your phone contacts: (866) 822-3978 for up-to-date information.
1. Opt in to SPC’s emergency text messaging system to receive real-time updates if necessary. Visit spcemergency.com/receiving-alerts/ for more information.
2. Add an Out Of Office message to your inbox, such as:
“St. Petersburg College is currently closed due to Hurricane Helene. During this time, I will be out of the office and unable to respond to emails. If your matter is urgent, please contact [alternative contact person] at [email/phone number]. I will respond to your message as soon as possible upon my return.”
We will continue monitoring this storm closely and will provide an update by 5 p.m. Thursday regarding any potential closure on Friday, Sept. 27.
Stetson University
Stetson University will cancel classes on Thursday and close the DeLand campus for normal operations due to Hurricane Helene.
Residential buildings will remain open for students and the university expects to reopen on Friday and resume classes.
Keep up with the latest hurricane updates from Stetson University on Stetson Today and Facebook.
Pasco Hernando State College
Due to the inclement weather conditions of Hurricane Helene, all PHSC campuses will continue to be closed through Friday, September 27.
Normal operations are expected to resume on Monday, September 30, unless otherwise notified. The safety of our students, faculty and staff is our highest priority.
We will continue to assess our campuses and potential impacts of the storm and provide updates as needed.
For updates, monitor local media and PHSC's homepage: https://phsc.edu/
University of Florida
University of Florida offices will close and classes will be canceled on Thursday, Sept. 26 due to Hurricane Helene. All academic and student-related activities, including online classes and exams, will also be canceled during that time.
Rasmussen University
Rasmussen University Florida campuses will close early on Wednesday at 4 p.m. and remain closed on Thursday, Sept. 26. Faculty and staff may work remotely if it's safe to do so, officials said.
This story will be updated with any other announcements from other school districts or colleges.