Palm Beach County Schools will close early due to Hurricane Sandy.
BOCA RATON, FL (BocaNewsNow.com) — Palm Beach County Schools — including public schools in Boca Raton — will close three hours early Thursday due to Hurricane Sandy. Schools were already set to be closed Friday due to a teacher in-service day.
We are awaiting word from other organizations that follow the Palm Beach County School system schedule, including religious and private schools.
In a just released statement from the school district:
Due to Hurricane Sandy, all Palm Beach County public schools will release students three hours early on Thursday, with no after school or evening activities, and all schools will be closed on Friday.
Parents should note that students will be dropped off at their bus stops three hours earlier than normal on Thursday.
School officials say their decisions are based on National Weather Service forecasts, which indicate that on Thursday afternoon, sustained winds are expected to reach 25 to 35 miles per hour with gusts up to 50 miles per hour late in the day.
On Friday, the National Weather Service forecasts indicate sustained winds are expected to reach 35 to 45 miles per hour along coast with gusts to up 60 miles per hour.
School officials say, as a safety precaution, they plan to avoid operating school buses if sustained winds are forecast to exceed 35 miles per hour, as student and staff safety is their highest priority.
While the National Weather Service says the storm will remain well off shore as it passes Palm Beach County, it is forecasting 1 to 3 inches of rain Thursday and Friday.
