Hurricane Ian: Central Florida school closures ahead of storm's arrival

Officials of schools, colleges and universities in Florida and the Orlando metro area are beginning to announce their plans for the week ahead of Hurricane Ian's potential impacts on the state.

Here is a county-by-county list of school announcements regarding the storm that have been made so far:

ALACHUA COUNTY

Alachua County Public Schools and district offices will be closed Wednesday through Friday due to the storm. All extra-curricular activities are also canceled. The district plans to reopen schools on Mon, Oct. 3 if they are functional & safe for students and staff.

BREVARD COUNTY

All Brevard Public Schools and District offices will be closed beginning Wednesday morning September 28th through Thursday night September 29th due to Hurricane Ian. All school activities, events, and programs for these two days are canceled. At this time, no decision has been made regarding school on Friday, September 30th. Updates will be posted on the district website, social media platforms and sent in email to BPS families.

FLAGLER COUNTY

All Flagler County Schools will be closed beginning Wednesday, September 28 due to the impending effects of Hurricane Ian. They will remain closed through Friday, September 30.

LAKE COUNTY

Lake County Schools announced an early dismissal day for Tuesday and school closures Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

MARION COUNTY

Marion County Public Schools will be closed Wednesday through Friday due to Hurricane Ian.

ORANGE COUNTY

Orange County Public Schools said all after school extracurricular activities are canceled on Tuesday except for extended day. On Wednesday, September 28, all schools and facilities will be closed and extracurricular activities canceled through Thursday, September 29.

University of Central Florida will remain closed through Friday, Sept. 30.

Full Sail University's campus will be closed Wednesday, September 28 and Thursday, September 29.
Rollins College will close its campus at 5 p.m. Wednesday; residential halls will close at 4 p.m. Wednesday. The College will then close Thursday and Friday for damage assessment.

Valencia College will close on Wednesday, Sept. 28 and Thursday, Sept. 29. All classes and events are canceled. Update on Friday classes will be shared Wednesday night.

OSCEOLA COUNTY

All Osceola district public schools will be closed for the next three days (Sept. 27, 28, and 29) due to Hurricane Ian. All school activities, events, and programs scheduled for these days are canceled. At this time, no decision has been made regarding school on Friday, Sept. 30.

SEMINOLE COUNTY

Seminole County Public Schools will be closed for all students and staff beginning Wednesday, September 28th and continuing through Friday, September 30th. KidZone & Beyond and 21st Century sites will operate as normal on Tuesday, September 27th. All other after-school events are cancelled for Tuesday, September 27th.
Due to Hurricane Ian, all Seminole State Campuses will close at 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 27 and classes (including online) are canceled Wednesday, Sept. 28 through Friday Sept. 30. Campuses are also closed except for staged employees on these days.

Student Make-Up Days:

January 2, 2023
January 3, 2023
March 20, 2023

SUMTER COUNTY

Sumter District Schools will have early dismissal on Tuesday, Sept. 27 and will be closed on Wednesday, Sept. 28 and Thursday, Sept. 29 due to Hurricane Ian.

VOLUSIA COUNTY

Volusia County Schools said it plans to continue normal operations for Monday and Tuesday. All after school activities on Wednesday, Sept. 26 through the end of the week have been canceled.

Students of Bethune Cookman University will be required to evacuate the campus beginning Monday, Sept. 26 at noon. A return date will be determined once conditions are safe.

FOX 35 will update this article as more information becomes available.