Hurricane Ian damages force Charlotte County schools to delay classes until late October

Stefania Lugli, Sarasota Herald-Tribune
·2 min read

Charlotte County Public Schools aim to return to the classroom by Oct. 24, citing extensive Hurricane Ian damage to all district campuses as the reason for a delayed start.

"We are doing everything we can to have students back to school," superintendent Steve Dionisio said in a statement released Thursday.

The district is hopeful "that every school can be used in some way even if we have to close some sections of a school and re-configure areas to accommodate all students," the statement said.

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Roof damage, water intrusion, broken lights and fallen trees are just some of the blows on a long list of damages to address in the school district.

As of Thursday, Oct. 6, four schools remained without power: Neil Armstrong Elementary School, Liberty Elementary, Vineland Elementary and Port Charlotte Middle School.

Dionisio said Charlotte schools are waiting on a detailed assessment of damage from Disaster Restoration Company, expected by the end of this week.

Until then, the district highlighted several steps of mitigation to clean up the public schools, such as buttoning down buildings to block further water intrusion, drying out buildings, dehumidifying them and hiring specialists for further inspections.

Dionisio added several school districts and superintendents also are supporting Charlotte County schools by sending supplies and staff.

"Every district in the impacted area is different with amount and kind of damage," the superintendent said. "Now that we have a better handle on the damage caused by Hurricane Ian we will do our best to do daily status updates for you."

Families and students can follow Charlotte County Schools on Facebook and Twitter for regular updates.

This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: Hurricane Ian damages delay Charlotte County's school start to Oct. 24