HERNANDO COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) — School districts in the Tampa Bay area are starting to announce closures related to Hurricane Idalia.

On Sunday, Hurricane Idalia formed and is projected to eventually become a hurricane and move west of Tampa Bay, bringing rain to the area early this week.

Citrus County

Citrus County Schools will be on a half-day schedule on Monday, Aug. 28. All schools will be closed on Tuesday, Aug. 29, Wednesday, Aug. 30, and Aug. 31.

Following Monday’s dismissal, schools will be operating as shelters in the afternoon.

Dismissal for Elementary: 12:35 p.m.
Dismissal for Middle School: 11:20 a.m.
Dismissal for High Schools: 11:40 a.m.

All after-school programs and extra-curricular activities are also canceled beginning Monday afternoon until further notice. 

The school district said schools will remain closed through Thursday as schools will continue to be used as shelters.

Hardee County

The Hardee County School District announced all schools will be closed on Tuesday, Aug. 29, and Wednesday, Aug. 30, due to Tropical Storm Idalia.

The school district announced Wednesday morning that schools will reopen on Aug. 31. All staff and students are to report to school and work at their usual scheduled times.

Shelters will open on Tuesday, August 29 at 11 a.m. at Hardee Junior High School/Hilltop Elementary School for the general population and at Bowling Green Elementary School as a pet shelter.

Hernando County

The Hernando County School District announced schools will be closed Monday through Wednesday day in preparation for Tropical Storm Idalia.

With schools closed, the Office of Emergency Management will use several Hernando schools as shelters for residents.

“To prepare and manage those facilities, HCSD will close all schools and most district offices Monday-Wednesday, Aug. 28-30,” the district shared on social media.

Hernando School Shelters will open on Monday at noon.

Hillsborough County

Hillsborough County Public Schools announced all schools and district offices will be open as normal on Monday, Aug. 28. Schools will be closed on Tuesday, Aug. 29 and Wednesday, Aug. 30.

Schools are expected to resume their normal hours on Thursday, Aug. 31.

The University of South Florida, including USF Health downtown and the Sarasota-Manatee campus will reopen, and classes will resume on Thursday, Aug. 31. However, the St. Petersburg campus will remain closed. All online classes are canceled on Thursday as well.

Rasmussen University Tampa Bay will be closed on Tuesday and Wednesday. The university plans to reopen campuses on Thursday.

Pasco County

The Pasco County School District announced schools will be closed Tuesday and Wednesday due to the oncoming storm. Schools will resume their regular hours on Thursday.

The Pasco County School District issued the following statement:

Pasco County Emergency Managers require many of our schools to be storm
shelters for families in our community … The safety of our students, staff, and their families is of utmost importance to us. With the storm expected to grow in intensity before landfall, we urge
all families to take necessary precautions to protect their homes and loved ones by preparing emergency kits, securing outdoor items, and staying updated with local advisories.

Pasco County School District

Pasco-Hernando State College will be closed, and classes are canceled on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Saint Leo University will resume classes and open for business on Thursday, Aug. 31

Rasmussen University will close its Central Pasco campus as well as its Tampa and Brandon locations. The university plans to open on Thursday, Aug. 31.

Pinellas County

Pinellas County schools will be closed on Tuesday and Wednesday as schools are converted to emergency shelters.

All sports and after-school activities scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday are also canceled.

Nova Southeastern University will reopen its Tampa Bay Regional Campus on Thursday, Aug. 31.

Polk County

Polk County Schools announced Monday that all public schools and district offices in the county will REMAIN OPEN on Tuesday. However, all after-school programs and sports will be canceled on Tuesday, including games and practices.

PCPS schools will be closed on Wednesday and Thursday to serve as shelters in response to Tropical Storm Idalia. The school plans to reopen on Friday, Sept. 1.

Manatee County

Manatee County schools will be closed on Tuesday and Wednesday as schools are converted to emergency shelters.

All sports and after-school activities scheduled for Tuesday and Wednesday are also canceled.

Freedom Elementary, Miller Elementary, and Mills Elementary Schools will serve as shelters starting Monday afternoon.

Sarasota County

Sarasota County Public Schools will be closed on Tuesday and Wednesday. This includes all after-school activities.

All after-school activities on Monday, August 28, will take place as scheduled.

WFLA.com will have interactive streaming coverage on Tracking the Tropics starting at 9:30 a.m. Monday.

Be prepared with the WFLA Hurricane-Ready Guide 2023 and stay ahead of tropical development with the Tracking the Tropics newsletter.