ST. PETERSBURG, Fla — UPDATE (Nov. 11): Get the latest Tampa Bay area school closures ahead of Hurricane Eta here.
Original story (Nov. 9):
As parents and guardians of students in the Tampa Bay area are watching Tropical Storm Eta, questions are popping up about the status of their student's school.
Will classes be canceled? And if so when, and for how long?
We reached out to school districts in our area to answer just that. Here's what they had to say:
This is a developing story. As we hear back from each county this story will be updated.
Highlands County:
The school district made the call Sunday night to cancel classes at all of its schools for Monday, November 9.
"It was determined that the Highlands County forecast has changed and that we could experience potentially stronger wind gusts as well as tornado watches and or warnings through the day tomorrow," the district wrote.
Sarasota County:
The school district has made the call to close all schools on Monday, Nov. 9 due to Tropical Storm Eta. School officials thanked families and reminded them to stay safe.
Hardee County:
The school district has made the call to cancel classes Monday "to ensure all students and employee safety." School officials saying they are concerned about wind gusts. You can read the full statement here.
DeSoto County:
The School District of DeSoto County posted to its website that its offices and schools would be closed Monday, Nov. 9, 2020, out of an abundance of caution ahead of Tropical Storm Eta.
You can read more on the school's website.
Pasco County:
As of now the district has not canceled classes but is "closely" monitoring the storm.
"The path and severity of the storm remain unclear. At this time, the storm is having no immediate impact Pasco schools," it wrote.
Families should keep tabs with the school district in the coming days for updates.
Pinellas County:
The school district says schools will remain open Monday but that it realizes that portions of the county are prone to flooding. Families are asked to assess their situations and decide what is in the best interest of the safety of their student.
Hillsborough County:
The county plans to have school as scheduled at this time but is monitoring the storm. District Superintendent Addison Davis tweeted earlier today saying the Hillsborough County Public Schools Emergency Management Team has been watching the storm.
Manatee County:
School is not impacted for students in Manatee County. The district will open for business as usual on Monday.
"There is the possibility that Tropical Storm Eta could have more of a direct impact on Manatee County later this week," it wrote.
Polk County:
The school district projects that school will be conducted "as normal" this week.
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