LARGO - Several factors contributed to Monday's decision to close Pinellas public schools today in the wake of Tropical Storm Frances.
School officials feared flooding would prevent many buses from completing their routes, and they weren't sure whether the district had enough fuel to keep the buses running throughout the day, said school district spokesman Ron Stone.
The district did not receive a fuel delivery Friday as Frances approached, Stone said.
About 45,000 of the district's 112,000 students ride a bus to school. District buses travel a total of about 75,000 miles each school day.
Another factor, Stone said, was that 10 district schools still were serving as shelters Monday and had to be cleaned before the schools could reopen. The county planned to consolidate evacuees into three shelters, none of which were schools.
Stone said district officials would meet after maintenance crews got a chance to report on the condition of schools. For the latest on Wednesday's schedule, parents should look for an announcement over local media outlets this afternoon, he said.
The School Board's scheduled meeting today has been postponed until Sept. 14.
A training day for all 8,000 district teachers still is scheduled Friday at Tropicana Field. At the event, teachers will hear from noted educator Robert Marzano. They also will hear from outgoing superintendent Howard Hinesley and incoming superintendent Clayton Wilcox.
