The district sent the following notice to parents:

Dear SDLC Staff and Families,

The District has been working closely with Lee County’s Emergency Operations Center in preparation for Hurricane Ian’s impact to our area.

In an abundance of caution and to provide our families with additional time to prepare, all after school activities and athletics have been canceled for Monday, September 26, 2022, with the exception of after-school care which will continue as normal. In addition, all previously scheduled meetings for tonight, such as the Curriculum Advisory Committee and TALC bargaining, have been canceled.

The National Hurricane Center indicates that our area will be impacted by hurricane force winds, heavy rainfall, and storm surge late Tuesday into Wednesday. In addition, Lee County has declared a local state of emergency and officials have made the decision to activate some of our schools as storm shelters starting on Tuesday, September 27, 2022.

Therefore, the District has made the decision to close schools and District offices and suspend all before and after-school programs and extra-curricular activities on Tuesday, September 27 and Wednesday, September 28. In addition, all previously scheduled events will be canceled, including the Vendor Fair at the District office and the Proximity Neighborhood Dialogue Community meeting at James Stephens Elementary School. Additionally, the Board Workshop scheduled for Wednesday, September 27 has been postponed and will be rescheduled.

A decision about school operations for the remainder of the week will be made by 5pm on Wednesday, September 28, 2022. The District will continue to provide daily updates to staff and families with the latest information. Please be sure you are subscribed to School Messenger, the District’s Social Media channels, and visit our website to stay up-to-date on possible changes to our school operations.

We will evaluate our current Instructional Calendar and determine what dates will be used as Hurricane Make-Up Days. We will also work with the Florida Department of Education to ensure we are meeting all instructional requirements.

Please ensure that you have made the proper preparations to keep you and your family safe. Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.