Tampa Bay area schools to close this week ahead of Hurricane Milton

TAMPA, Fla. — Some Tampa Bay area counties have announced school closures in anticipation of Hurricane Milton. 

The list will be updated as more school closures are announced.

HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY

Hillsborough County Public Schools will be closed Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday (Oct. 7 – 9)  to prepare for the impacts of the approaching storm. School district officials said the decision allows the county to convert schools into shelters for those needing to evacuate and gives families and district staff time to prepare their own storm plans.  

Get more information on the district’s website and social media channels.

In addition, Westminster Academy will also be closed Tuesday and Wednesday, Oct. 8 – 9. Monday will be a normal day, but no afterschool care will be provided, officials said.

PASCO COUNTY

Pasco County Schools announced that all schools and district offices will be closed on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday (Oct. 7 – 9). All extracurricular activities, athletic events, and after-school programs are also canceled for these days. The district said it will continue to monitor the situation and provide updates as needed.

Families and staff are encouraged to follow the district’s website and social media channels for the latest information.

PINELLAS COUNTY

All Pinellas County Schools and offices will be closed from Monday, Oct. 7 through Wednesday, Oct. 9. All sports and school activities scheduled for those dates are also canceled. No decision has been made for the end of the week due to the uncertainty of the storm’s path. 

Updates will be posted on the district website and social media channels.

POLK COUNTY

In a statement, the system said: “Based on the most current forecast, we do not expect significant weather in Polk County tomorrow, Monday, Oct. 7. Consequently, all PCPS schools and offices will remain open during regular hours tomorrow.

However, we will be canceling or rescheduling Monday’s after-school programs and sports. For specific information about rescheduled events, we encourage you to reach out to your child’s school directly.

Please be advised that all PCPS schools and offices will be closed on Tuesday, Oct. 8, Wednesday, Oct. 9, and Thursday, Oct. 10, in response to this storm.”

Click here to read the full statement.

MANATEE COUNTY

In a statement, the school system said: “All School District of Manatee County Schools will be closed Monday, October 7th through Wednesday, October 9th. All school activities, including athletics, are cancelled Monday through Wednesday.

“Information regarding the remainder of the week will be communicated after the storm passes, shelter operations conclude, and teams have had an opportunity to assess the condition of district campuses.

HERNANDO COUNTY

In a statement, the system said: “This afternoon, the Hernando County Emergency Operations Center activated local agencies to prepare for Tropical Storm Milton. As a result, all Hernando schools and district offices will be closed Tuesday and Wednesday (Oct 8-9) with a decision for reopening expected midweek. During this closure, all before and after-school care services will be suspended, and all after-school activities and athletic events are cancelled or will be rescheduled.”

CITRUS COUNTY

In a statement, the system said: “As a result of the impending storm, school will be cancelled for Tuesday, October 8th and Wednesday, October 9th.  All after-school extracurricular activities on Tuesday and Wednesday are also canceled.  School will be in session for tomorrow, Monday, October 7th.  After school activities, YMCA before and after school programs, and sports will run as normal on Monday, October 7th.

SARASOTA COUNTY

All traditional public schools will be closed from Monday, Oct. 7, through Wednesday, Oct. 9, in preparation for possible shelter openings. District officials said to look out for e-mails and text messages for any updates.

Track announcements on its social media channels.

COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES

SAINT LEO UNIVERSITY

Saint Leo University will be closed and classes will be canceled Monday, Oct. 7, through Thursday, Oct. 10, at its Tampa area locations:  

• University Campus (33701 County Road 52, St. Leo, FL 33574) 
• Tampa Education Center (1403 N. Howard Ave., Tampa, FL 33607) 
• Center for Adult Learning (University Campus and Pasco-Hernando State College locations) 

All Saint Leo employees are to report to work on Monday to prepare their workspaces for the storm, university officials said.

USF

In a statement, the school said: “The University of South Florida is continuing to closely monitor Hurricane Milton. Based on the latest weather information, the university today announced that on Monday, Oct. 7, no in-person classes will be held. Classes will only be delivered asynchronously, which means students will not have to meet and will receive an assignment from their instructor that does not have to be completed on Monday or while the university is closed.

In addition, on Monday, Oct. 7 all campuses will be closed. Normal USF business operations will continue remotely.

On Tuesday, Oct. 8, and Wednesday, Oct. 9, all classes are canceled, and all campuses will be closed.

A decision about resuming classes, reopening campuses and returning to normal business operations for Thursday, Oct. 10, will be made a later time.”

ST. PETERSBURG COLLEGE

In a statement, the school said: “The College will remain open on Monday, Oct. 7. All campuses and offices will be closed from Tuesday, Oct. 8 through Wednesday, Oct. 9.