Volusia schools to reopen after Hurricane Matthew

DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. – Volusia County Schools will reopen Wednesday, which is an early release day, officials announced Tuesday.

All after-school events and athletic activities will also resume.

Below is a summary of the county's progress regarding schools:

• All of our schools have power and only 10 are without Internet access.  We expect some of those 10 schools to be online today; however, some may still have some buildings/portables without Internet access by Wednesday.
• If a school cannot be reached by phone, parents can call 386-734-7190, ext. 20000 in the case of emergency.
• Schools that were used as shelters have been sanitized and are ready for students to return.
• We are restocking our freezers with food today.  There was minimal food spoilage, but what was spoiled has been discarded.
• Buses have been repaired and are ready to safely transport students to and from school.
• There is still a lot of debris throughout the county, some blocking sidewalks.  If a bus stop is not accessible, students should move to a location that is nearest to their current bus stop in a safe location for pick up.  This may cause buses to run late.
• All activities and athletic events will resume on Wednesday.
• Makeup days will be announced as soon as they are determined.

"We look forward to welcoming our students and teachers back," the schools said.

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All Volusia County schools will be closed Monday and Tuesday because of Hurricane Matthew.

"All school activities and athletic events are also canceled for Monday and Tuesday.," Volusia schools said.

The district said it needs time to make sure all power is restored to schools, leaks are repaired, classrooms are cleaned and downed trees and limbs are removed.

Makeup days will be determined at a later date, officials said.

Flagler County schools will be also closed Monday and Tuesday because of Hurricane Matthew, officials said.

Maintenance teams will tour all schools and sites on Saturday, assessing damage from the hurricane. Preliminary checks show some exterior damage at a few sites, officials said.

In addition, Bunnell Elementary School, Rymfire Elementary School and Buddy Taylor Middle School are still being used as shelters for displaced residents.

Superintendent Jacob Oliva said because of the damage and cleanup operations, as well as the continued need of shelter space, all schools will remain closed Monday and Tuesday.

"We are currently developing a timeline for when schools will reopen," the county said in a statement. "Our thoughts and prayers are with all of Flagler County as we begin the difficult process of cleaning up. We thank our school community and Flagler County as a whole for their support through the coming days and weeks ahead."

Brevard schools will be closed Monday.

Meanwhile, Seminole County Public Schools and Orange County Public Schools will open Monday on normal schedules.

Watch News 6 for more on this story.