Some Panhandle schools in the path of Hurricane Isaias are starting to reopen, Education Commissioner Henry Mack said Wednesday, while others will wait until next week.
“As of today, Walton County is welcoming back all students, faculty, and staff, returning to normal operations,” Mack said at the opening of the Board of Education meeting in Stuart. “Okaloosa announced that they will return to normal full operations tomorrow. Quite remarkable, given again the impact of the hurricane.”
But schools in Escambia and Santa Rosa counties aren’t scheduled to reopen with normal operations until Monday.
Schools closed before Isaias swept through the region last Friday as a Category 2 storm and have been scrambling to make needed repairs to facilities while awaiting power restoration.
The University of West Florida posted it will remain closed through Thursday.
“Power has been restored to most of campus, and buildings and residence halls have been cleared of structural damage,” the Pensacola-based university stated on its website Tuesday night. “While significant progress has been made, crews continue to remove storm debris and clear campus roads, parking lots and pedestrian walkways to ensure they are safe for use.”
Classes will resume Monday at Pensacola State College. The school noted on its website there has been “extensive damage” at all locations, which have also been used as staging areas for relief agencies and utilities.
