Pasco County Schools to Make Closing Decision Soon

LAND O’ LAKES, FL — Pasco County school kids hoping anticipated severe weather will score them a day away from the books will have to wait a little longer to find out for sure. Pasco County Schools announced Tuesday it plans to make a decision soon.

The school district said it is working closely with Pasco County Emergency Operations to determine whether or not closing campuses is in order. Should forecasts call for sustained winds in the area to reach 40 mph, buses will not be able to run. At present, the county is bracing for winds of 25 mph and gusts up to 45 mph.

“We want to have the most up-to-date information from the National Weather Service before making any decisions related to school closures, but we also want to make the decision as early as possible so that parents can make arrangements for their children,” said Superintendent Kurt Browning in a statement. “It’s a tough call, and these storms can be very unpredictable.”

The school district promises a decision will be made by Wednesday evening at the latest. Once it’s made, the district will post the information on its website at www.pascoschools.org, Facebook at www.facebook.com/pascoschools and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/pascoschools.

The district also plans to notify parents and staff of its decision by phone Wednesday evening.

Tropical Depression Nine is expected to form into a tropical storm sometime on Tuesday. The storm is expected to bring strong winds to the area along with heavy rain fall. As of Tuesday afternoon, forecasters were expecting Pasco County’s coastal areas to see 10 inches of rain with 4 inches or more possible in the inland areas. Significant rainfall is expected to begin sometime on Wednesday and may last through Thursday night.

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