Sept. 28
Oak Hall School is closing today at 12:30 p.m. All after school activities are cancelled, along with any after school student care. The campus will reopen on Monday, Oct. 3.
As of the 11 a.m. update from the National Hurricane Center, Hurricane Ian exploded into a high Category 4 hurricane overnight. Winds are currently sustained at 155 mph as the pressure has dropped to 937mb. Alachua County remains under a Tropical Storm Warning, a River Flood Warning, a Flood Watch, and a Tropical Storm Watch.
Sept. 27 – Second Update
Per the 5 p.m. update from the National Hurricane Center, Hurricane Ian is now a strong Category 3 storm as it moves into the Gulf of Mexico with sustained winds of 120 mph as the pressure continues to drop, now at 952 mb. Alachua County continues to be under a Hurricane Watch, Tropical Storm Warning, Tropical Storm Watch, and a Flood Warning. The Flood Warning is in effect until 2 a.m. Saturday. Ian is moving North at 10 mph and one of the larger concerning threats is the amount of rain that will saturate the state.
Sept. 27
According to an email sent to faculty, staff, students and parents, Oak Hall Campus will be closed beginning at 12:30 Wednesday afternoon due to Hurricane Ian. Per the email:
Dear Families,
In preparation for the impact of Hurricane Ian, we will have an early dismissal tomorrow, Wednesday, September 28th. Our campus will be closed on Thursday, September 29th & Friday, September 30th. Classes will resume on Monday, October 3rd.
Dismissal times for Wednesday, September 28th are as follows:
- ECLC: 11:45 a.m.
- Lower School: 12:00 p.m.
- Middle & Upper School: 12:30 p.m.
There will be no Extended Day Programming on Wednesday. Students must leave campus at their divisional dismissal time. All afterschool activities (sports, clubs, etc.) will be canceled for Wednesday.
Please note that any absences on Wednesday will be excused as we support our families in doing what’s best for their households. Updates, such as changes in dismissal times, will be communicated via our Emergency Notification System (email, text, phone call).
Take care and stay safe.
As of the 8 a.m. advisory, Ian is a Category 3 storm with sustained winds at 125 mph. It is moving North at 12 mph. Alachua County is currently under a Hurricane Watch, Tropical Storm Warning, Flood Warning, and a Tropical Storm Watch.
Sept. 26
The West Coast of Florida is bracing for the impacts of Hurricane Ian. As of the 11 a.m. advisory the storm has a maximum sustained winds of 80 mph which currently makes it a Category 1 storm. So far, no tropical storm/hurricane watches or warnings have been declared for Alachua County. As for Oak Hall, administrators are keeping an eye on Ian and consulting with County Emergency Management. In an email to faculty and staff, Director of Operations Jeff Malloy made it clear that safety is the school’s number one priority. The school, however, might not close if Alachua County schools do. “Please keep in mind that our facilities are not used for the purpose of shelters. That said, we do not need to close for the same reason or duration that public schools close,” Malloy noted. If Oak Hall needs to close because of the storm, faculty, staff, students, and parents will be notified three ways: by text, by email, and by a phone call via the school’s Emergency Notifications System.
