Hillsborough County Public Schools To Close In Preparation For Hurricane Ian
Hillsborough County Public Schools:
“Our district has been working closely with the county’s emergency operations center in preparation of Tropical Storm Ian’s impact on our region. County emergency officials have made the decision to activate many of our schools starting Monday as storm shelters to house community members who will be required to evacuate their homes.”
Because of this decision, the district has no choice but to close schools and suspend all after-school programs and extra-curricular activities beginning tomorrow, Monday, September 26, through Thursday, September 29.
Many factors are considered when the EOC activates shelters, so even if our area experiences minimal physical effects from the storm, our school district plays a vital role in the EOC’s response. Our school principals coordinate the opening of shelter sites and the utilization of bus drivers for evacuee transport and student nutrition staff for meals for those at the shelters.
There may be a need to make up missed instructional hours in order to meet minimum state requirements, but we will work with the Florida Department of Education to determine how many hours might be necessary.
We encourage you to stay up to date with local news reports; we will continue to update you through Parentlink emails, texts, and phone calls, as necessary. You can also monitor the impact on schools at www.HillsboroughSchools.org and our district’s Facebook and Twitter pages.
We are proud of the role we play in supporting our community in this time of need.