Central Florida schools shut down because of Ian
Central Florida public schools and colleges will close campuses this week as Hurricane Ian threatens the state, officials announced Monday.
Orange County Public Schools will close campuses Wednesday and Thursday. The Lake school district will be canceled Wednesday through Friday, and the Osceola County school district will be closed Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. The Seminole County school district will be closed Wednesday and “additional closure dates will be determined as the path of the storm becomes more certain,” the district tweeted Monday evening.
The University of Central Florida, the state’s largest university, also canceled classes Wednesday through Friday “in anticipation of Hurricane Ian’s expected impact on Central Florida,” it said in a message Monday.
“UCF Housing will remain open for students in all residential communities, though students who can safely return home may be more comfortable doing so. Due to the storm, comforts such as power, wi-fi, and police and medical assistance may be limited, and dining, study and recreation locations will be closed,” the message said.
Valencia College and Seminole State College planned to provide updates Monday evening, too.
Meanwhile, Rollins College announced that it will close its Winter Park campus on Wednesday in preparation for the storm.
“Based on the most recent models, Hurricane Ian is expected to have a significant impact on our area. Given this information, campus will close at 5 p.m. Wednesday, with residential halls closing at 4 p.m.,” the school said in a news release.
“Classes are scheduled for today and tomorrow, but we know that students have begun traveling and have asked that faculty be flexible and accommodating regarding this week’s classes. Wednesday classes will not meet in person, but will still be held.”
The Lake and Osceola school districts said they made earlier decisions to close campuses because some schools were needed as evacuation shelters and officials needed time to get them ready.
Roger Simmons of the Sentinel staff contributed to this report.
