Hurricane Irma Aftermath: Monroe County Schools Opening In 'Very Near Future'

KEY WEST, FL — The head of the Monroe County School District said he wants the district to have students back in school in the very near future, despite most of the county having no power or cellphone service.

The district in a Facebook post Thursday said Superintendent Mark Porter is committed to opening Keys Schools as soon as possible, even as it acknowledged "tens of thousands" remain evacuated from the island chain and "resources are scarce."

Porter is confident the resources for the county, its schools and services for residents will be fully restored, the district said. (For more information on Keys Schools openings and other Miami-area stories, subscribe to Patch to receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts. If you have an iPhone, click here to get the free Patch iPhone app.)

Watch: The Florida Keys Are Reeling From Hurricane Irma Devastation

Porter thanked Superintendent Alberto Carvalho for offering to accommodate Keys students, but said he is "fully committed" to reopening all Monroe County Schools as soon as possible. Miami-Dade County school system is providing resources that will be "tremendously valuable" to Monroe County's recovery.

"We will have our students back in school in the very near future,” he said.

County emergency officials are still trying to make sure residents have their most essential needs, including water, power, and access to food and fuel, the district said.

Leadership team members have been inspecting Keys schools and so far have seen only minor damage and minimal flooding.

The district serves roughly 8,600 students throughout the upper, middle, lower keys, and Key West and is made up of 10 public schools, six charter schools and alternative and virtual programs.

Photo credit: Monroe County BOCC