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The Triangle School Districts are monitoring Hurricane Florence's approach, as some parents and students are calling for a rapid closure of schools due to the weather threat.
According to forecasts from the National Meteorological Service, Florence is expected to land in the Carolinas later this week and could bring high winds and up to nine inches of rain to Raleigh. School officials said on Monday they were watching the progress of the storm, but they would probably not make decisions about school cancellations or early layoffs until they get closer.
"We will use the most accurate information possible so that we do not make any decisions that far in advance," Lisa Luten, spokeswoman for Wake County School said Monday morning.
Florence could bring hurricane winds into the interior of the Triangle, which worries a number of parents and students.
"When are you going to inform schools and parents about closures, it's not a joke!" Kim Cardin, a parent at Knightdale High School, tweeted Monday in Wake's school system. "Staff and students must be safe! Please, do not wait until the last minute and children are stranded!
Cardin's feelings were echoed by several other people on social networks.
Wake school principals are trying to reassure people that students and staff would be safe on campus in the event of a hurricane.
"Look for shelter in a strong building that can withstand hurricane winds – like a school," the Wake School Twitter account told a student about what to do when the storm came.
Families in Durham could know as early as Tuesday what is planned for the school this week.
According to Chip Sudderth, spokesperson for the Durham Public Schools, we are preparing to close schools, reorganize extracurricular activities and open shelters. Sudderth said the district is waiting to make decisions on the schedule by Tuesday afternoon.
In the meantime, Mr. Sudderth said Mr. Durham encourages families and staff to monitor the district's website and social media. He said people are also encouraged to develop emergency preparedness kits (ready.gov/build-a-kit) and to sign up to receive notifications of any kind. personal emergency on alertdurham.com.
In the midst of all the worries, Chapel Hill-Carrboro Superintendent Pam Baldwin sent a message to staff and families on Monday to assure them that the district was preparing for Florence's arrival.
Baldwin said all school emergency generators were inspected and powered. She said schools that can be used as emergency shelters have been supplied with food and water. Sandbags are in preparation.
To keep in touch, Baldwin encouraged staff and parents to download the district app, follow the district on Twitter (@CHCCS) and likes the district's Facebook page.
"Please take this situation seriously and take the necessary precautions to protect your loved ones," Baldwin said in the message. "We will be back if we have to change our school schedule later this week."
The cancellation of courses would create challenges for school districts and families. School districts build rest days for school closures, but winter storms outnumber potential hurricanes in late summer and fall.
The first day of make-up of Wake County's traditional schools, which is used by most of the 162,000 students, is October 31st. The second day that could be used would be Saturday, October 13th.
It is unclear when students in the traditional Wake County calendar had to report to school on a Saturday. If used, it would be a full day of classes.
At Chapel Hill-Carrboro, schools are already scheduled to open within two hours Thursday so staff can get training time. The district may need to change plans if schools close or fire early Thursday, said Jeff Nash, a district spokesman.
Using the first two days of makeup for Chapel Hill-Carrboro could also be unpopular for families. The first is September 19, which coincides with the Jewish holy day of Yom Kippur. Next is November 21st, the eve of Thanksgiving.
According to Crystal Roberts, a district spokeswoman, the Johnston County school system has five days of weather preparation, but may need to be consolidated if days are needed because of Florence.
School districts have the option of not organizing a handful of school days because they have more than 1,025 hours of annual instruction per student. But districts often like not using this option to see how many days of snow they have first.
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