Most FL Schools Will Reopen By Mid-October: Hurricane Ian

FLORIDA — When Hurricane Ian battered much of Florida nearly two weeks ago, many schools were flooded with brackish waters or were significantly damaged by strong winds, especially in Southwest Florida, the hardest-hit region of the state.

The powerful Category 4 storm caused more than 2.5 million students to miss school, as 55 of the Sunshine State’s 67 public school districts closed for at least one day because of Ian, according to NPR. About 1.7 million students missed three or more days of school following the hurricane and schools in several districts, including Lee, Charlotte, DeSoto and Sarasota counties, remain closed.

Now, as communities continue to recover from the storm — an effort that could take years in some areas — Florida has a plan for its public schools, as most will reopen by mid-October, state school officials said.

• Stay up-to-date by viewing all Hurricane Ian coverage on Patch here.

In Charlotte County, 19 of 21 schools will reopen by Oct. 18, according to the Florida Department of Education.

Just two schools won’t reopen that day: L.A. Ainger Middle School in Rotonda West, which will reopen Oct. 24, and Port Charlotte Middle School, which remains closed indefinitely.

In Lee County, the district will reopen all schools by Monday, according to the FDOE.

As it recovers from the hurricane, though, the School District of Lee County is in need of teachers, bus drivers, cafeteria staff, support personnel and other workers, the district shared on Facebook. It will host several job fairs and networking events in the coming weeks:

• Oct. 13, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m., Christ Community Church, 4050 Colonial Blvd., Fort Myers
• Oct. 24, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., Mission BBQ, 12984 S. Cleveland Ave., Fort Myers
• Oct. 27, 9 to 11 a.m. and 3 to 5 p.m., School District Offices, 2855 Colonial Blvd., Fort Myers

The DeSoto County School District shared on its Facebook page that schools there will reopen in two phases after an industrial hygienist tested and cleared all facilities.

In phase one, Memorial Elementary School, West Elementary School, DeSoto Virtual Academy, DeSoto Middle School, DeSoto Secondary School and DeSoto Virtual Academy will reopen Oct. 17.

DeSoto County High School and Nocatee Elementary School, which “had significant damage to areas within their buildings (that) will require more time to restore,” will reopen between Oct. 24 and Nov. 7, the district said.

Sarasota County Schools opened 35 public schools in and north of Venice on Monday. The remainder, which are located in the southern part of the county, in North Port and Englewood, will reopen Oct. 17.

“As you probably know, north county and south county took a different amount of wind and hit and water, however all of our schools had water intrusion and damage,” Superintendent Dr. Brennan Asplen said during a recent news conference.

Businesses Affected by Hurricane Ian

The state also continues to support Florida businesses and residents as they recover from Hurricane Ian.

As of Monday evening, $2.5 million in loans have been awarded to 55 businesses through the Small Business Emergency Bridge Loan Program that was activated to assist those affected by the hurricane, according to a news release from the governor’s office.

This includes 28 businesses in Lee County that were awarded $1.27 million in short-term, zero-interest loans.

Business owners can apply for these loans — up to $50,000 per applicant — online here through Dec. 2 or until available money runs out. The loan program is authorized to award $50 million to businesses.

Hurricane Ian Recovery by the Numbers

As of Monday evening, the Florida Department of Law Enforcement’s Medical Examiners Commission confirmed that 102 people have died because of Hurricane Ian.

Those killed include:

• Five in Charlotte County
• Five in Collier County
• One in Desoto County
• Four in Hardee County
• Two in Hendry County
• One in Hillsborough County
• One in Lake County
• Fifty-two in Lee County
• Three in Manatee County
• One in Martin County
• Seven in Monroe County
• One in Orange County
• Two in Osceola County
• Two in Polk County
• Three in Putnam County
• Seven in Sarasota County
• Five in Volusia County

Other Hurricane Ian relief and recovery numbers as of Monday evening, provided by the governor’s office, include:

• 29,664 remain without power in the state.
• 42,000 linemen have restored power for more than 2.6 million accounts.
• Nearly $40 million raised for recovery efforts through the Florida Disaster Fund.
• 2,500 rescues made.
• More than 1,000 team members performing search and rescue.
• More than 13.7 million meals ready-to-eat and 49.2 million bottles of water distributed.
• The state’s Crisis Cleanup Line has received more than 30,000 calls.
• 4,351 personnel have been activated and are executing missions through Joint Task Force Florida.
• Debris has been removed from 3,088 miles of state roads.

Important Hurricane Recovery Contacts

Floridians recovering from Hurricane Ian can find assistance through the following agencies and organizations:

• Florida Division of Emergency Management’s State Assistance Information Line: Call 800-342-3557
• First Responder Support Line: Call 407-823-1657
• Florida Crisis Cleanup Line: Call 800-451-1954
• Florida 211 Network – Crisis Counselors: Call 211 or visit Turnto211.com
• Disaster Distress Helpline: Call 800-985-5990
• FL Veterans Support Line: 844-693-5838
• Disaster Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (D-SNAP): Pre-register online here.
• Family Resource Support Centers: find location details and hours here or call 850-300-HOPE
• Florida Housing Search: Those displaced by the hurricane should call 877-428-8844 or visit www.floridahousingsearch.org.
• Federal Emergency Management Agency: Apply for federal assistance at www.DisasterAssistance.gov, by calling 800-621-FEMA (3362) or by using the FEMA App.