‘Have to do what’s best’: Hurricane Ian sends Lancaster Co. schools virtual on Friday
.jpg "This GOES-East GeoColor satellite image taken at 12:01 a.m. EDT on Wednesday, Sept. 18, 2022, and provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), shows the eye of Hurricane Ian approaching the southwest coast of Florida. Hurricane Ian’s most damaging winds began hitting Florida’s southwest coast Wednesday, lashing the state with heavy rain and pushing a devastating storm surge after strengthening to the threshold of the most dangerous Category 5 status.")
The Lancaster County School District won’t send students to school Friday, due to weather threats from Hurricane Ian.
The Lancaster County School District announced Wednesday afternoon all schools and office buildings will be closed Sept. 30. It will be an online learning day for students. All afterschool programs and extracurriculars, on Friday and through the weekend, are canceled.
Football games originally set for Friday night will be played early, on Thursday night.
“We have been watching the hurricane all week in regards to the impact it may have on our school district,” reads the decision released Wednesday. “These decisions are never easy to make because no one can ultimately guarantee what will happen. Given that we have no guarantees we must make the best decision possible on the data and circumstances we have at present.”
Windy conditions are expected Friday morning. Projections across the 45-mile-long district have winds at 20-35 mph with gusts even higher.
“If this comes to fruition we will face dangers operating school buses and in transportation in general,” reads the decision. “Winds are clearly no friend of a high-profile vehicle like a bus and could cause one to tip over or go off the road. We also have many employees, parents, and young drivers we are concerned about as well. We have to do what’s best for the district as a whole.”
Schools will provide more details to students and staff on Thursday.
This story was originally published September 29, 2022 at 8:18 AM.
