“There will be no school until further notice,” says the post-Hurricane Ian alert on Charlotte County Public Schools website. The devastating Category 4 storm “caused a tremendous amount of damage,” the extent of which is still being assessed, Superintendent Stephen Dionisio wrote in his message to one of the state’s hardest-hit communities.
Power and water outages have closed schools in the neighboring School District of Lee County for at least the rest of this week. Lee County, which contains Fort Myers, also suffered extensive damage from the storm that has reportedly killed dozens of residents after hitting Southwest Florida on Wednesday. But the district is not facing the road to recovery on its own. The Foundation for Lee County Public Schools has launched a relief fund for the district’s staff and students.
Thank you to Broward County Public Schools and Glades County Schools for sending teams of staff to help our schools clean up and recover!
We are in this together. #LoveLeeSchools #leeschools. #schooldistrictofleecounty # hurricaneian pic.twitter.com/0GLt4twKRL— School District of Lee County (@LeeSchools) October 3, 2022
In nearby Sarasota County, Sunday was the first time school damage assessment teams were able to reach some of the system’s hardest-hit communities. Two Sarasota County Public Schools buildings were still being used as storm shelters with power outages, flooding and downed power lines still prevalent in many neighborhoods.
The district is closed until further notice with connectivity and communications still unstable throughout the county and within the schools. “Some schools have power and minimal amounts of debris; others have no power, need extensive repairs, and have massive amounts of debris,” the district says on its website.
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Two other nearby systems, Hardee County Schools and The School District of DeSoto County, are also closed until further notice. DeSoto County administrators reported flooding and damage to multiple facilities.
Schools getting back on track
The hurricane forced almost all of the districts in Florida to shut down for most of last week, from Miami to Tallahassee. But some Southwest Florida districts are preparing to reopen. The Hendry County School District, The School District of Manatee County and The School District of Osceola County were all set to resume regular operations on Tuesday. In Manatee County, the storm knocked out power at 16 schools and two other buildings, administrators said.
Orange County Public Schools, which covers Orlando and is one of the nation’s largest districts, was closed Monday but planned to reopen Tuesday. Polk County Public Schools officials were still dealing with several power outages on Monday and completing cleanup but also hoped to welcome students back on Tuesday.
Collier County Public Schools, which covers Naples, will reopen on Thursday, after a scheduled holiday on Wednesday. On Monday, the district was still working through power restoration to schools and homes, significant flooding and debris, staffing availability, road closures, fuel scarcity and other challenges. “The arduous process of rebuilding from a Category 4 hurricane will take considerable time,” the district notes on its website. “That being said, we understand the importance of continuity of learning for students and the role of schools in supporting our community’s recovery effort.”
On the state’s east coast, Volusia County Schools officials completing walkthroughs of the district’s campuses reported persistent flooding at some buildings. The district plans to reopen on Wednesday.
