Florida school districts and state colleges announced closures this week as Tropical Storm Idalia threatened to become a hurricane that could reach the state’s Gulf Coast early Wednesday.
Gov. Ron DeSantis on Monday issued an executive order declaring a state of emergency for 46 counties in preparation for the storm. As of 3 p.m. Monday, 23 county districts announced closures for all or part of the school day Tuesday, with some closures stretching through Thursday.
Schools in Citrus, Charlotte, Columbia, DeSoto, Dixie, Gilchrist, Hardee, Hernando, Hillsborough, Levy, Manatee, Marion, Pasco, Pinellas, Sarasota, Suwannee and Taylor counties will be closed Tuesday and Wednesday, while Lee County schools will be closed Tuesday.
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Jefferson County schools will be closed part of Tuesday and remain closed Wednesday. Madison County schools will be closed part of Tuesday and remain shuttered through Thursday, and Duval County schools have planned closures Tuesday through Thursday.
Districts in Hamilton and Lake counties have announced closures only on Wednesday. Meanwhile, officials at six state colleges also are shuttering campuses. College of Central Florida, Florida Gateway College, Hillsborough Community College, North Florida College, Pasco-Hernando State College, and St. Petersburg College will be closed or have partial closures Tuesday and Wednesday.
The state Department of Education’s website has posted a list of school and college shut-downs.
The department said it is monitoring the storm and has advised people to “continue to visit our website for updates.”
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