Sarasota, Manatee schools closed Thursday as Hurricane Nicole approaches Florida
Both Sarasota and Manatee County schools will be closed Thursday as Tropical Storm Nicole was poised to strike Florida's east coast and cross the state.
The districts announced the closings Wednesday afternoon.
Nicole was expected to bring gusty winds and rain bands through the southwest coast of Florida Wednesday evening and into midday Thursday. The Sarasota County School District planned to resume normal operations Friday, according to the district's news release. Manatee schools will resume on Monday, as the district is off on Friday for Veterans Day, according to a district spokesperson.
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The closures come as Sarasota and Manatee counties were still recovering from damage caused by Hurricane Ian little more than one month earlier. In total, Manatee schools missed five school days, north Sarasota County schools missed nine school days and south Sarasota County schools missed 13.
New College also announced Wednesday and Thursday classes were canceled in anticipation of bad weather from Nicole, while State College of Florida, Manatee-Sarasota closed at 1 p.m. Wednesday and announced that all three campuses would remain closed Thursday. The college will be closed as scheduled on Friday for Veterans Day. Scheduled classes and activities will resume at 4:30 p.m. on Nov. 11 unless notified otherwise.
Follow Herald-Tribune Education Reporter Steven Walker on Twitter at @swalker_7. He can be reached at sbwalker@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Sarasota, Manatee schools closed Thursday for Nicole