Tampa Bay area schools to close ahead of Tropical Storm Helene

TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) — Schools will close in multiple Tampa Bay area counties ahead of Hurricane Helene.

Citrus County

On Tuesday, Citrus County School District announced that schools will be closed on Thursday, Sept. 26, and Friday, Sept. 27.

Wednesday’s schedule will proceed as planned with a half-day. This will allow officials to prepare to use some school buildings as emergency shelters.

Hardee County

The school district will remain open as normal on Wednesday but will be closed on Thursday due to Helene and plans to reopen on Friday if the weather permits a safe return.

Hernando County

The Hernando County School District announced Monday it will be closing all schools and district offices on Wednesday and Thursday ahead of the expected storm.

All after-school activities, events, Boys & Girls Club, and The Y will also be canceled, the school district said.

The district announced Wednesday that schools would also stay closed on Friday, including all after-school activities.

Highlands County

The School Board of Highlands County will close schools on Thursday, Sept. 26.

Additionally, schools will have a “two-hour release school day” on Wednesday, Sept. 25.

Schools will operate as normal on Friday, Sept. 27.

Hillsborough County

Hillsborough County Public Schools will close all schools on Wednesday and Thursday, Sept. 25 and 26.

All after-school programs, athletics, and extracurricular activities are canceled for this Wednesday and Thursday as well.

Manatee County

Manatee County Schools will be closed Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday due to Hurricane Helene, the district announced. All school activities, including athletics, have also been canceled.

Most of the athletic events will be rescheduled to Saturday, Sept. 28, or a later date. Voluntary practices will be allowed to resume at or after 3 p.m. Friday.

As of this report, the School District of Manatee County plans to resume normal operations on Sept. 30.

Pasco County

The Pasco County Schools announced they will be closing all schools on Thursday and Friday as they open five schools as emergency shelters.

Schools will be opened as scheduled on Wednesday, and plan to reopen schools on Monday depending on the impact of the storm.

All after-school activities and events will be canceled to prepare for the storms and set up shelters on Wednesday and Thursday.

ASEP/PLACE programs will continue as usual on Wednesday but will be canceled on Thursday.

Pinellas County

Pinellas County schools will be closed on Wednesday and Thursday.

All after-school sports and activities are canceled.

Diocese of St. Petersburg

The Diocese of St. Petersburg is closing all of its Catholic schools and early childhood centers ahead of Tropical Storm Helene. The closures include locations in Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, Hernando, and Citrus counties.