Leon county schools will be closed Thursday and Friday ahead of Tropical Storm Hermine. Superintendent Jackie Pons said the move not only protects children, but also allows six Leon County schools to be converted into staging areas as part of a county-wide emergency plan.
“We want the public to be aware of the actual conditions being forecasted for later Thursday evening,” he said. “…Safety being our number one priority, we went ahead and got the information out so we could go ahead and work with those individuals so they could use those areas to go ahead and move this large equipment in this evening.”
Pons made the announcement after a conference call with area superintendents, surrounding counties such as Wakulla, Gadsen, Franklin, Dixie, and Taylor County Schools will be shut down this Thursday and Friday. The storm is expected to make landfall Thursday evening.
Leon Schools that will become staging sites:
- Canopy Oaks Elementary
- Chaires Elementary
- Woodville Elementary
- Fort Braden School
- Montford Middle School
- Chiles High School
Full list of Panhandle School Closures:
- Wakulla
- Gadsden
- Franklin
- Dixie
- Taylor
- Lafayette
- Madison
Florida A&M University has issued the following statement:
Update: In addition to the main campus, the FAMU College of Law, and the Crestview, Tampa, and Jacksonville site campuses will also be closed tomorrow and Friday. All university activities will resume on Tuesday.
Due to further developments concerning inclement weather, the University, FAMU DRS, and the Educational Research Center for Child Development will be closed tomorrow, in addition to Friday. All classes and activities are suspended until Tuesday. All essential employees will report to work. Food services will be open for breakfast for students Thursday morning, and boxed meals will be delivered to students in residence halls for the remainder of Thursday and Friday. Please exercise caution as you travel and move about your day. Watch your local news for weather updates and follow recommendations as issued by the weather service and local government.
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Florida State University information:
Based on the latest storm prediction information, the Florida State University main campus will close at noon today, September 1, 2016. Classes are canceled for this afternoon and Friday, and faculty and staff will be released at noon today. Based on the current forecast from the National Hurricane Center, tropical storm conditions are not expected to reach our area until sometime Thursday evening.
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From North Florida Community College:
Due to extreme weather predictions, North Florida Community College is closing its campus in Madison, Florida and cancelling all classes on Thursday, September 1 and Friday, September 2, 2016. Normal campus hours will resume on Tuesday, Sept. 6; the NFCC campus is closed in observance of Labor Day on Monday. Further updates, should they become necessary, will be posted at www.nfcc.edu.
