The Hillsborough County Emergency Operations Center has declared a local state of emergency as Tropical Storm Eta continues its path towards the west coast of Florida.
Due to this declaration, several of Hillsborough County school sites have been designated as storm shelters for our community.
Joining the Hillsborough County School district, Lutz Prep has also made the decision to close all schools on Thursday, November 12th and Friday, November 13th.
This decision was not made lightly as we understand this can create a hardship for our families. However, we must place the safety of our students and staff first and take many things into consideration that includes possible road closures, high winds, damage to school buildings, power outages and other unforeseen variables that can result.
While schools are closed, teachers and students will be asked to engage in an eLearning model as a way to continue instructional momentum. Teachers will use Canvas and other online strategies they use on a regular basis for posting lessons and interacting with students. We understand that some students may not have accessibility to digital devices, or families may experience potential power outages, so our teachers will work with their learners and allow them adequate time to complete all assignments upon our return. Our LP teachers will be accessible via email for student questions and/or assistance during normal school hours of 8:00am-3:00pm on both Thursday and Friday. Please look for directives from your teacher how to “check-in” for attendance purposes.
Today is Veterans Day and is already a scheduled day off from school. We will continue to monitor this storm and provide updates as they become available.
We encourage all families and staff to take all necessary precautions at their homes and plan for the possible effects of Tropical Storm Eta.
At this time, we are projected to reopen on Monday, November 16th.
Thank you for your understanding and flexibility to ensure safety during this unpredictable time.