Many area schools will be closed due to Hurricane Dorian but no decision has been made at The Villages Charter School.
Sumter County schools and The Villages Charter School were already scheduled to be closed on Monday in honor of the Labor Day holiday. Sumter County school officials have announced schools will be closed on Tuesday, with the exception of The Villages Charter School.
Lake County has announced that schools will be closed on Tuesday and Wednesday, including the Villages Elementary at Lady Lake. That school is likely to be used as an emergency shelter as it was in 2017 during Hurricane Irma.
Closing the charter school would have an enormous impact on the labor force throughout The Villages, as children who attend the charter school must have parents who work for The Villages or businesses located within Florida’s Friendliest Hometown.
“As we have consistently stated over our 19 year history, The Villages Charter School will typically be open unless our school campus is compromised or travel is unsafe. However, due to the widespread directions and distance that parents travel to our school, we always defer to the decision of our parents regarding whether they believe it is safe to bring their children to school. We do encourage everyone to take all recommended precautions to protect their family and home,” The Villages Charter School announced in a statement.
Lake-Sumter State College will close all campus locations and cancel all classes, including online classes, and activities beginning at 5 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 31 through Wednesday, Sept. 4.