Tropical Storm Helene: These schools announce closures

ORLANDO, Fla. — As Helene approaches Florida, some local school districts have announced closures.

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Tropical Storm Helene is expected to become a hurricane.

See the school closures county-by-county:

Brevard County

Brevard Public Schools has not provided any updates on school closures at this time.

Flagler County

Flagler Schools has not provided any updates on school closures at this time.

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Lake County

Lake County Public Schools will close for potential Tropical Storm Helene impacts.

Marion County

Marion County Public Schools said the district will close ahead of Tropical Storm Helene.

All extracurricular activities on Thursday are canceled.

West Port High School will open as a special needs shelter on Wednesday at 2 p.m. It will be the only pet shelter for now.

MCPS said it will monitor weather conditions and guidance from emergency management officials on whether classes will resume on Friday.

Orange County

Orange County Public Schools said schools will be closed on Thursday, Step. 26.

OCPS said all after school activities must end by 6 p.m. on Step. 25.

OCPS said “Any decision to close schools on Friday, Sept. 27 will be determined by the impact on Orange County and timing of the storm.”

The school district said they will continue to communicate all updates through phone calls, emails, text messages, social media pages and on OCPS website.

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Osceola County

Osceola County School District said all schools will be open on Wednesday, Sept. 25, but close on Thursday, Sept. 26 for Tropical Storm Helene.

All activities and events on Wednesday will be normal, including athletics.

On Thursday, Sept. 26, all schools and district offices will be closed.

The school district will provide updates on its website and social media platforms for Friday.

Polk County

Polk County Public Schools does not expect any significant storm impacts on Wednesday, Sept. 25, but it will cancel or reschedule after-school programs and sports.

The activities will end by 6 p.m. Friday

Schools and offices will stay open on Wednesday for regular hours.

The school district will close all PCPS schools and offices on Thursday, Sept. 26, and Friday, Sept. 27, due to tropical storm-force winds and heavy rain.

PCPS plans to reopen on Monday, Sept. 30.

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Parts of Florida still recovering from Hurricane Debby prepare for Helene People who live on Florida’s Gulf Coast are bracing for the possible impact of a major hurricane. (WFTV)

Seminole County

Seminole County Public Schools said schools will be closed on Thursday, Step. 26 for students.

The school district said there will be no extracurricular activities, sporting events, or other school-based activities., which includes KidZone & Beyond and 21st Century childcare services.

SCPS said it will monitor weather and evaluate campus conditions.

At this time SCPS said school will be in session on Friday, Step. 27, but they will notify families if there are any changes to the schedule.

Sumter County

Sumter Schools will close on Thursday, Sept. 26, and Friday, Sept. 27, for Tropical Storm Helene.

The school district said it would update any other school closures on its website, school signs and phone messages.

Volusia County

Volusia County Schools will close all after-school activities on Wednesday, Sept. 25, except for Extended Day Enrichment Programs.

The district will close all schools and offices on Thursday, Sept. 26.

VCS said there are no changes yet on Friday, including activities and athletics.

Officials do not expect schools to be used as a shelter.

VCS Operations teams will assess schools and bus routes for storm debris after Helene.

Staff and families should check their emails and social media for updates.

Read: Hurricane tips: What you should do to prepare

Colleges & universities

College of Central Florida

The College of Central Florida has announced it will close all its campuses.

These include the Ocala Campus, Wilton Simpson Citrus Campus, Jack Wilkinson Levy Campus, Hampton Center, Appleton Museum and Vintage Farm and online classes.

School officials said scheduled activities are also canceled.

The Wilton Simpson Citrus Campus and Jack Wilkinson Levy Campus will close at noon on Wednesday, Sept. 25, for storm preps.

All other campus operations will close at 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 25, through Friday, Sept. 27.

CF plans to reopen on Saturday morning for normal operations as long as weather permits.

The college will post updates to its website.

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