WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — All public schools in Palm Beach, Martin, St. Lucie, Indian River and Okeechobee counties will be closed Thursday because of the threat of Hurricane Helene, which is forecast to strengthen into a major Category 3 hurricane before making landfall in Florida's Big Bend region.
All district-operated schools and offices in Palm Beach County will be closed Thursday. All extracurricular activities, after-school programs, sports, school meetings, and other on-campus events are also canceled. Normal school and District operations will resume on Friday.
In a news release, St. Lucie Public Schools said all schools will be closed on Thursday, and any district-sponsored afterschool activities — including tutoring, athletics, and clubs — will be canceled Wednesday and Thursday.
The St. Lucie Public Schools College Fair scheduled for Wednesday evening at the Fenn Center is also canceled and will be rescheduled. All afterschool child care programs such as the Boys and Girls Clubs and YMCA will remain open Wednesday afternoon and will be closed Thursday.
Elsewhere on the Treasure Coast, the Martin County School District said all schools will be closed tomorrow, as the anticipated wind speeds on Thursday morning will make it unsafe to operate school buses.
The School District of Indian River County said all afterschool activities, with the exception of Extended Day, will be canceled Wednesday afternoon, and all schools will be closed on Thursday.
"Barring any unforeseen circumstances, schools will be open and normal district operations will resume on Friday. Since this is a one-day closure, no make-up day will be scheduled," the district said in a news release.
Public schools are also closed in Broward County on Thursday. This includes before and after-school care, after-school activities, field trips and evening events and classes.
The National Hurricane Center has placed Palm Beach, Martin, St. Lucie, Indian River and Okeechobee counties under a tropical storm warning, meaning tropical storm conditions are expected somewhere within the warning area within the next 36 hours.
TRACKING THE TROPICS: Hurricane Center | Hurricane Guide
In a news release Wednesday morning, the Okeechobee County School District said all schools will be closed Thursday.
All elementary schools will operate as usual until 6 p.m. Wednesday when aftercare services end, and all middle and high school campus activities will end at 5 p.m. Wednesday.
All athletic and extracurricular activities scheduled for Wednesday evening and all day Thursday have been canceled.
"Please continue to monitor the OCSB app for the latest updates," the district said in a statement. "We will release additional updates, including information related to schools reopening after the storm, as soon as information is available. In the meantime, please stay safe during the storm."
Okeechobee County is currently one of 61 Florida counties under a state of emergency because of Helene. Palm Beach, Martin, St. Lucie, and Indian River counties are not included in that emergency order.
Indian River State College said it will close to employees, students, and visitors at 5 p.m. Wednesday and will remain closed on Thursday. All classes, including online classes, will be canceled Thursday.
The college anticipates reopening on Friday at 8 a.m.
Florida State University is closed through Sunday and Florida A&M University is closed through Friday. Meanwhile, the University of Florida and the University of Central Florida are canceling classes on Thursday.
Read more of WPTV's coverage of Hurricane Helene below:
Tropical Weather
Palm Beach Co., Treasure Coast schools closed Thursday
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COUNTY-BY-COUNTY IMPACTS: What to expect
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HURRICANE HELENE: Palm Beach Co., Treasure Coast under Tropical Storm Warning
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Steve Weagle: Here's what you need to know about Helene
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'Cautiously optimistic': Wellington prepping for potential flooding
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'WAITING AND WATCHING': Belle Glade, South Bay preparing for impacts of Helene
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