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 and Thursday, September 25 and 26, 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
In a post on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, the school system said: "All Pasco County schools are open on Wednesday, September 24. All after-school activities and events are canceled to prepare for the storm and shelter setup. All Pasco County schools and offices will be closed on Thursday, September 25."
Hernando County
The Hernando County School District was the first to announce closures Monday night, stating in a Facebook post:
"Hernando Schools will close schools and district offices Wednesday and Thursday of this week. All afterschool activities for Wednesday and Thursday will be cancelled. Before and aftercare programs (YMCA and Boys & Girls Club) will not operate on those days.
After we know more about the storm's potential impact to our community, we will make a determination as to reopening schools on Friday."
Pinellas County
The school system posted the following on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter: "All PCS and offices will be CLOSED on Wednesday, September 25 through Thursday, September 26. All sports and school activities scheduled for Wednesday, September 25, through Thursday, September 26, are canceled. Sports and activities are scheduled for today as planned."
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
Manatee County Schools announced Monday that they are working with Manatee County Emergency Management officials to monitor the storm. Get the latest from Manatee County Schools...
Polk County
Polk County Schools announced Monday that they monitoring the weather conditions in the Gulf and that there are currently no changes planned to the PCPS school schedule.
COLLEGES
Florida State University’s Tallahassee campus will close on Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2024, due to Tropical Storm Helene, which is projected to be upgraded to hurricane by tomorrow.
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.
Meanwhile, 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."
Florida A&M University (FAMU) Athletics announced today 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.
This story will be updated with any other announcements from other school districts or colleges.