By Superintendent Van Ayres
Hillsborough County once again demonstrated its incredible community strength during Hurricane Milton. Through tireless efforts, our district staff, educators, students, parents and local partners came together to ensure the safety and well-being of our schools and the broader community before, during, and after the storm.
Before Hurricane Milton made landfall, our leadership and operations teams were hard at work around the clock, preparing for any outcome. From securing school buildings to coordinating with local emergency services, the dedication of our staff was truly exceptional. In total, 16 of our schools served as shelters, providing refuge for over 15,000 evacuees. Seventeen of our buses were used to transport evacuees and their loved ones, including pets, to shelters.
During the storm, our staff stayed on-site at the shelters to assist evacuees and emergency personnel. Our remarkable Student Nutrition Services team prepared and distributed more than 59,000 meals to those in need.
Once the storm passed, the work didn’t stop. Twenty of our schools flooded inside their facilities and over 170 of our schools lost power. Students and local volunteers quickly mobilized, helping our team clean school grounds and helping organize resources for those most impacted.
Over 100 of our educators were displaced by the storms and countless families suffered damage or loss. We will continue to connect them with the resources and support they need.
The district’s ability to reopen schools as swiftly as possible is a testament to the unwavering commitment of our entire team and our community.
We offer our deepest thanks to every member of the Hillsborough County Public Schools family, every volunteer and the organizations that supported our schools during this time. Together, we showed what it means to be #HillsboroughStrong.
