Update: Manatee County Schools will remain closed until Monday, Sept. 30. SCF Manatee-Sarasota will also be closed until Monday.

Sarasota County schools will close at the end of today, Sept. 24, to allow for time to prepare schools that serve as emergency evacuation centers, the school district announced today.

“We are ready to serve our community," Sarasota County Schools superintendent Terry Connor said in a statement. "We are coordinating with Sarasota County to provide shelter to our schools and personnel. We will continue to share updates with employees and families as more information about the storm and its potential impacts becomes available."

Manatee County schools will also close on Wednesday, Sept. 25, and Thursday, Sept. 26. All school activities, including athletics, are also canceled. 

Additionally, Ringling College of Art and Design announced that classes will be canceled for the remainder of the day on Tuesday, Sept. 24, and through Friday, September 27. Students are required to enact their hurricane plans and evacuate campus by 2 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 25. The college anticipates reopening housing and dining as early as Saturday, Sept. 28, unless the campus has been majorly impacted by the storm. 

USF has announced that all campuses will be closed beginning Wednesday, Sept. 25, and will remain closed through at least Friday, Sept. 27.  The university expects to reopen campuses and return to normal business operations (without classes) on Saturday, Sept. 28. A final decision on its operating status for Saturday, Sept. 28, will be shared with the university community on Friday, Sept. 27. 

New College of Florida will also close from Wednesday, Sept. 25, through Friday, Sept. 27.

State College of Florida Manatee-Sarasota has not yet announced campus closures and is operating as normal as school leadership monitors the storm.

We'll continue to post updates as we know more.