Santa Rosa School Board votes to move school opening date to Oct. 19
Reported byNavarre Press
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The Santa Rosa County School Board voted 5-0 on Oct. 13 to delay reopening schools until Oct. 19. That replaces an earlier plan to bring students back Oct. 14. Board member Linda Sanborn made the motion after many parents and teachers urged more time following Hurricane Isaias, which the article says hit Destin as a Category 2 storm.
The district had announced the day before that schools would reopen that week, after a directive from the governor's office and the state Department of Education that Panhandle schools reopen by midweek. Superintendent Karen Barber said the situation was more complicated than it first seemed and thanked the state for its help. The board's attorney, Terry Harmon, told members that the board, not the state, has the final say on when students return.
Speakers described homes without power, running water or air conditioning, roads narrowed by debris, and teachers who had no lesson plans ready. A district map marked schools without power in red. As of midday Tuesday, Milton High, Avalon Middle and Bennett C. Russell Elementary were still without power, and Jay Elementary was drying out after water seeped in. Barber said schools lacking power or water would not open.
Parent advocate Kyle Connolly welcomed the vote as a chance for families to recover, while Sanborn called it the right decision.
Why it matters
The vote shows how a local board weighed a state directive against conditions in the community after a storm. Families and staff dealing with outages and damage gained five more days before students return, and board members were reminded of their authority over reopening.
- Board vote
- Public comment
- Extreme weather
- Building repairs
Written with AI from the publisher's article and may contain errors. The original reporting is the authoritative source.
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- What conditions should a district require to be met before reopening schools after a major storm?
- How should a school board balance state guidance with what it hears from local families and staff?
- How can a district keep families informed when a reopening plan changes within days?
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