Pinellas schools to reopen, Hillsborough reopening remains undetermined
The Hillsborough County School District had about 100 schools without power Monday, five days after Category 3 Hurricane Milton rammed into Florida, leaving debris and flooding across the state.
Additionally, more than 12 schools reported standing water, and “[m]any roads have hazards or traffic signals that are not working,” the district reported.
“Despite recovery efforts, we need at least another day before we can safely reopen schools,” according to the update.
Many schools served as evacuation shelters and sustained storm damage, delaying some openings. About 30 districts in the state reopened Monday.
All school districts except Hillsborough and Pinellas will be open Tuesday. Pinellas is set to reopen Wednesday.
New College of Florida and the University of South Florida will reopen Tuesday, leaving Florida Polytechnic University the only state university closed.
Classes at Florida Poly, located in Lakeland, will start again on Thursday, according to its website.
Hillsborough Community College and St. Petersburg College are the only two state colleges that will remain closed Tuesday. Hillsborough Community College has not announced a date to return, while St. Petersburg will host classes virtually Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday.
Up-to-date school closure information is available on the Department of Education website.