All Okeechobee County public schools will be closed Thursday because of the threat of Tropical Storm Helene, which is forecast to strengthen into a major Category 3 hurricane before making landfall in Florida's Big Bend region.
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.
As for our other local counties, the Martin County School District is canceling all afterschool activities, including clubs, sports, and tutoring, for Wednesday and Thursday. The district will release additional details later Wednesday regarding the potential closure of schools on Thursday.
Extended Day services will continue to operate as normal for Wednesday. The district's College Fair on Thursday has been canceled and will be rescheduled.
"Our top priority is the well-being of our students, staff, and families," Superintendent Michael Maine said in a written news release. "With Tropical Storm Helene approaching, we believe it is necessary to take these precautions by cancelling all after-school activities over the next two days. We will continue to assess the situation and provide an update this afternoon on the status of schools for Thursday."
The School District of Palm Beach County said Wednesday there is currently no impact on district operations.
"We will continue to monitor the storm and post any updates to our website and social media," the district said on social media.
St. Lucie Public Schools said it's in close contact with the St. Lucie County Emergency Operations Center. The district will make a decision later Wednesday regarding any school closures for Thursday.
The School District of Indian River County said it plans to make a decision at 1 p.m. Wednesday regarding afterschool activities for Wednesday and school closures.
For now, school will be held as normal tomorrow in Palm Beach, Martin, St. Lucie, and Indian River counties.
