SARASOTA COUNTY, Fla. — As kids across the Tampa Bay area returned to the classroom on Monday, Sarasota County Schools sat silent.
Schools remain closed Monday for students and teachers in hard-hit Sarasota County after Hurricane Ian. Crews are working to assess the damage and get repairs done as quickly as possible.
“There are people with boats in the streets, so they had a lot more than we did, and my heart goes out to them,” Oak Park School teacher Diane Serpi said.
Serpi knows the feeling of waiting for the next steps while Sarasota County schools remain closed until further notice after Hurricane Ian.
“We’re going to be open when we’re ready and when we’re safe and stable," Serpi said. "That’s the utmost importance for all of us and the kids, is that everybody is safe."
The school district said some schools have power and minimal amounts of debris, while others have no power, need extensive repairs and have massive amounts of debris.
ABC Action News got an inside look at Heron Creek Middle School in North Port. Drywall had been ripped out in the front office, and several classrooms suffered extensive water damage.
Superintendent Dr. Brennan Asplen said it seems that the most damage is down in the southern part of the county.
“Besides power, water and internet and wifi, all those, we’ve had roof damage," Dr. Asplen said. "Water intrusion damage has been one of the main problems. Ceilings that have fallen in inside the school, so the rugs are wet, everything’s wet."
Asplen said right now, half of their schools do not have electricity. They’re also still hosting people at two of their school shelters.
“We have many teachers who live in the south but work in the north, and so they’re dealing with their damage at their homes, and they’re not able to start to work right at the moment," Dr. Asplen said. "Then there’s a lot of debris that needs to get picked up in the north as well."
Asplen said as things begin to improve, they’ll have a better idea of when they can open. Until then, parents and teachers will wait patiently for the next school bell to ring.
“We all love working with our kids, and we can’t wait to see them and welcome them back,” Serpi said.