Gov. Rick Scott orders the closure of public schools

ORANGE COUNTY Gov. Rick Scott announced Thursday evening that he has ordered the closure of all public schools, state colleges, state universities and state offices from Friday, Sept. 8, to Tuesday, Sept. 12, due to Hurricane Irma.

“Today, I am directing the closure of all public schools, state colleges, state universities and state offices for their normal activities effective Friday through Monday, to ensure we have every space available for sheltering and staging," Scott said in a press release. "Floridians are facing a life-threatening storm in Hurricane Irma, and every family must prepare to evacuate. Our state’s public schools serve a vital role in our communities as shelters for displaced residents and staging areas for hurricane recovery efforts. Closing public schools, state colleges, state universities and state offices will provide local and state emergency officials the flexibility necessary to support shelter and emergency response efforts.”

Orange County Public Schools has confirmed that they are following Gov. Scott's orders and will close school from Friday, Sept. 8, to Tuesday, Sept. 12.

For updates on school closures, visit www.ocps.net or www.facebook.com/OrangeCountyPublicSchools.

Contact Brittany Gaines at [email protected].