Good morning,

I have waited until Sunday to see which path hurricane Dorian is likely to take before making a decision on whether to open the school on Tuesday/Wednesday.

This morning, NOAA released news that Hurricane Dorian is now a Category 5 with sustained winds of 160+ mph. There is time for the storm to grow in size and intensity. The future forecasted path is at sea away from mainland Florida but we are expecting to see some very strong winds between 39 to 79 mph starting Monday afternoon and continuing throughout Tuesday. Dorian is expected to turn and head North in the next 24 hours but has not started yet, so at this time it’s still heading directly towards Florida.

For this reason, I have decided to keep the school closed on Tuesday for the safety of all parents, children and staff. I apologize for the inconvenience this will cause anyone who has to report to work. You have probably heard that the School Board of Alachua County, UF and Santa Fe have already announced they will remain closed on Tuesday.

I will send another message if we will be open or closed on Wednesday once I have evaluated the safety of the weather and school nearer the time.

For up to date information on storm shelters, call 311.

Kind Regards,

Russell J Scoates