Polk County Schools reopen after Hurricane Milton

By FOX 13 News Staff
Published  October 15, 2024 1:57pm EDT
FOX 13 News
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BARTOW, Fla. - Polk County will return to school this week after being out of class for Hurricane Milton.

Students, faculty and staff will return to school on Wednesday, Oct. 16. 

Information regarding make-up days will be shared in the next two weeks.

READ: NHC monitoring 2 tropical disturbances, Florida impacts 'unlikely'

Polk County Public Schools will follow the school calendar, which means Thursday, Oct. 17 will be an early dismissal day and there is no school on Friday, Oct. 18, which is a teacher-staff development day.

In a statement posted online, Superintendent Fred Heid said, "Although minor repairs will continue in the weeks to come, our campuses are now safe and ready for students to return. As such, we are looking forward to students returning on Wednesday, Oct. 16. We hope the safe and reassuring environment of school will be a welcome return to some sense of normalcy. The reopening of schools is an important step for a community to take to begin recovering from a devastating storm. Students greatly benefit from being around friends, beloved teachers, and trusted school staff. Many students also depend on our campuses for meals. We understand that many families might still be without power and are continuing their own storm recovery efforts. If your child is unable to attend school due to storm-related issues, then please contact your child’s school and let the staff know."

Heid noted that there is a possibility that there will be a shortage of school bus drivers on Wednesday and is asking families for their patience as school gets back in session.

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