Seventeen School District of Lee County schools experienced various levels of minor issues after Hurricane Helene passed by Southwest Florida late last week.

“They primarily reported small leaks, damaged wind screens and fences, or some cosmetic repairs to fascia or air conditioning units,” District Spokesperson Rob Spicker said. “Our maintenance department handled most of the concerns but brought in contractors where necessary.”

After 10 p.m. Thursday – the day Hurricane Helene skirted the coast and schools were closed – the School District made the decision to close schools Friday “out of an abundance of caution for the safety of our students and staff.”

He said they were able to use Friday, as well as the weekend, to clean up and resolve most of the issues before students returned to school Monday.

“This was a challenging storm, and we appreciate the patience and understanding of our families as we made the decision to stay closed for a second day out of an abundance of caution for our students and staff,” Spicker said.

With schools closed both Thursday and Friday, the district is now considering options to make up those days.

“We are considering the options now and as soon as the makeup dates are finalized, we will notify all our families of the change in the schedule and update the calendar on our website,” he said.