MANATEE COUNTY, Fla. — It was a quick turnaround, but students in Manatee County returned to school Tuesday morning for the first time in more than a week.
Seventeen different school campuses were used as shelters for more than 11,000 residents during Hurricane Milton.
Once the shelters were emptied over the weekend, district staff worked quickly to assess the schools for any damage and clean the campuses.
Late Monday afternoon, the School District of Manatee County announced that power was back at all schools and students were welcomed to return on Tuesday.
Whitney Britt, a junior at Palmetto High School, said she only got power back on Monday. She says she was looking forward to catching up with her friends, since with no phone battery and limited cell service it’s been hard to keep in touch.
“At first it felt rushed because we had no time to get ready for school,” she said. “But I’m kind of excited to see my friends and how everybody stuck through the hurricane.”
The district sent a notice to families asking they be patient Tuesday.
“We ask that you and your students approach the reopening of school tomorrow as if it were the first day of school. The timing of bus routes could be delayed and there could be unexpected outages of power or air-conditioning at various times and schools. We ask for your patience and grace in these situations, and we especially encourage everyone to exercise additional caution on our roads and around our school buses. Parents, please examine and make sure your child’s path to schools and bus stops are safe and clear of debris,” the notice stated.
Students also returned to school in Hernando County on Tuesday.
“We understand that some staff and parents are in various stages of storm recovery. As access to fuel supplies improves and power service returns, we hope that reopening school is yet another step toward a full recovery,” the district wrote in a note to families.
All campuses in Hernando County also have power and minimal damage, though some bus routes could be impacted.