LIST: Hurricane Helene school closures

Ahead of Hurricane Helene, Tampa Bay area officials announced that schools would be closing due to growing concerns about the storm.

Below is the most up-to-date information about school closures.

Citrus County

• All public schools will be closed on Thursday, September 26, and Friday, September 27. Schools will have their originally scheduled half-day on Wednesday, September 25.

DeSoto County

• All public schools will be closed on Thursday, September 26. Schools are "tentatively" scheduled to reopen on Friday.

Hardee County

• All public schools will be closed on Thursday, September 26. Schools plan to reopen on Friday, September 27, if the weather permits a safe return.

Hernando County

• All schools and district offices will be closed Thursday, September 26; and Friday, September 27.
• All after-school activities, events, Boys and Girls Club, and The Y will be canceled.

Highlands County

• All public schools will be closed on Thursday, September 26. Schools will have their originally scheduled two-hour early release on Wednesday, September 25.

Hillsborough County

• All public schools will be closed on Thursday, September 26, and Friday, September 27.
• All scheduled football games for Friday will be canceled.

Bell Shoals Academy

• School will be closed Wednesday, September 25, and Thursday, September 26
• All school activities will also be canceled

Manatee County

• All schools will be closed Thursday, September 26, and Friday, September 27.
• All school activities will also be canceled on Thursday.

Pasco County

• All schools and district offices will be closed on Thursday, September 26, and Friday, September 27.

Pinellas County

• All public schools and district offices will be closed on Thursday, September 26, and Friday, September 27.
• All sports and school activities scheduled for Thursday, September 26, are canceled.

Polk County

• All public schools will be closed on Thursday and Friday. Schools are scheduled to reopen in the county on Monday, September 30.

Sarasota County

• All public schools will be closed on Thursday, September 26, through Friday, September 27.

Universities and Colleges

• USF
  
  • The University of South Florida will cancel classes beginning on Wednesday, September 25. Classes will resume on Monday, September 30.
  • All USF campuses will be closed until at least Friday, September 27.
  • Residence halls at the Tampa and Sarasota-Manatee campuses will remain open. However, the residence halls at the St. Pete campus are closed.
• Hillsborough Community College
  
  • Hillsborough Community College is closed through the weekend. All classes and activities are canceled.
• University of Tampa
  
  • All classes, activities, events, and non-essential operations will be canceled through Friday, September 27.
  • Limited services will be available starting Saturday, September 28, and full operations are expected to resume on Monday, September 30.
• Eckerd College
  
  • All classes are canceled.
  • Campus officially closed at 2 p.m. on Wednesday, September 25. No one will be allowed on campus until an “all clear” message is issued.
• St. Petersburg College
  
  • All campuses and offices are closed through Thursday, September 26.
  • Scheduled activities are also canceled during these days.

• St. Leo University
  
  • Classes canceled and the following locations closed through Friday, September 27:
    
    • University Campus (33701 County Road 52, St. Leo) — the residential and commuter campus in Pasco County
    • Tampa Education Center (1403 N. Howard Ave., Tampa)
    • Center for Adult Learning (University Campus and Pasco-Hernando State College locations)

• Florida Southern College
  
  • All classes scheduled on Thursday and Friday will transition to virtual format.
  • In-person classes will resume on Monday, September 30.
• Pasco-Hernando State College
  
  • All campuses closed on Thursday.
  • All on-campus and remote learning classes have been canceled.
• Polk State College
  
  • All classes will be canceled on Thursday, September 26, and Friday, September 27.
• University of Florida
  
  • All classes will be canceled and offices will be closed on Thursday, September 26.
  • All campus classes and activities are expected to resume on Friday, September 27, at 7 a.m.
• Florida State University
  
  • The school's Tallahassee campus is closed from Wednesday, September 25 through Friday, September 27
• Florida A&M University
  
  • All classes are canceled Wednesday, September 25 through Friday, September 27

HURRICANE RESOURCES

• Hurricane Center
• Local Forecast
• Radar