TL;DR: Schools across the Big Bend and South Georgia will close or dismiss early on Friday, Oct. 9, 2026, as Hurricane Isaias approaches.

Why Friday schedules changed

Districts and universities in Tallahassee, surrounding Big Bend counties, and neighboring South Georgia announced closures and adjusted schedules for Friday, Oct. 9, because of Hurricane Isaias, according to WCTV.

The report, published Oct. 7, 2026, at 2:47 p.m. EDT by reporter Jamiya Coleman, said the list would be updated as additional announcements were received.

In the Tallahassee area, the actions ranged from full campus closures to remote morning instruction followed by cancellation of afternoon operations. In South Georgia, Seminole County Schools appeared on the closure list, while other Georgia districts were still evaluating conditions.

A separate Wednesday-afternoon account from Fox 49 Staff described Gadsden County Public Schools as the first area district to announce a Friday closure and said other districts were monitoring the storm. That timing difference matters for preparedness: families were told to expect rapid updates as forecasts became clearer.

Universities and colleges shift or close

Florida State University will operate remotely for classes and work from 8 a.m. to noon Friday on the Tallahassee campus, then cancel classes and suspend normal business operations starting at noon Friday, according to WCTV.

That FSU operating plan also includes the FAMU-FSU College of Engineering, according to WTXL ABC 27. The university’s Coastal and Marine Lab in St. Teresa will also close Friday, although essential business operations will continue on campus.

Florida A&M University will hold Friday morning classes remotely, while afternoon classes are canceled, according to WCTV. Early dismissal at FAMU begins at noon, according to WTXL ABC 27.

The FAMU Developmental Research School will be closed Friday until further notice, according to WCTV. The WTXL ABC 27 account specified that the developmental research school will close at 1:35 p.m.

Tallahassee State College has canceled all classes and will close all campuses on Friday, Oct. 9, according to WTXL ABC 27. The WCTV account similarly reported that the college is closing its main campus and all classes Friday.

Those higher-education decisions compress preparation time for students who live on or commute to campuses. A remote morning followed by a midday shutdown means students and staff must complete travel before operations suspend.

Big Bend K-12 districts: closures announced

All public schools and district offices in Gadsden County and Franklin County will be closed Friday, Oct. 9, according to WTXL ABC 27. All schools in Liberty County will close Friday as well.

Gadsden County Public Schools announced Wednesday afternoon that all schools and district offices will be closed Friday, Oct. 9, because of expected inclement weather, according to Fox 49 Staff. The district said information about emergency shelters will be released as it becomes available.

Wakulla County Schools will be closed Friday, according to WTXL ABC 27. Jefferson County Schools will be closed Friday, Oct. 9.

Jackson County Schools, Franklin County Schools, Jefferson County Schools, Wakulla County Schools, Liberty County Schools, Aucilla Christian Academy, and Robert F. Munroe Day School were included in the Big Bend closure and early-dismissal list, according to WCTV.

Decatur County Schools in Georgia will be closed Friday, Oct. 9, according to WTXL ABC 27. Seminole County Schools was listed under South Georgia, according to WCTV.

The breadth of that list shows that both public districts and private academies acted on the same Friday window. Families with children in different systems should check each school separately rather than assume one announcement covers a household.

Leon County takes a different approach: early release

Leon County Schools will have an early release Friday rather than a full closure, according to WTXL ABC 27.

High school students will be dismissed at 11:20 a.m., elementary school students at 12:20 p.m., and middle school students at 1:20 p.m., according to WCTV. The same dismissal times were reported by WTXL ABC 27.

All after-school activities are canceled, including after-school care programs, according to WTXL ABC 27. District offices and school campuses will close at 3 p.m. Friday.

That staggered schedule has direct pickup implications. High school pickup comes first, followed by elementary, then middle school. Parents who rely on after-school care need alternate coverage because that care is canceled.

An earlier Wednesday-afternoon update from Fox 49 Staff said Leon County had no changes at that time and planned to test its text notification system at 6 p.m. Wednesday. Parents who did not receive the test were encouraged to check contact information and SMS settings in FOCUS.

The contrast reflects how quickly plans evolved. A district with no change Wednesday afternoon could move to early release by the next update.

Other districts monitored the forecast

Wakulla County Schools said all schools remained scheduled to operate normally Friday in the Wednesday-afternoon update, while continuing to monitor the forecast, according to Fox 49 Staff. Any changes were to be communicated through email, text messages, its website, mobile app, and social media.

Lafayette County School District was also operating normally for now following the state emergency declaration, according to Fox 49 Staff. Officials urged families to ensure ParentSquare contact information was current to receive closure or schedule announcements immediately.

Decatur County Schools in Georgia said there were no changes to its school-day schedule as of Wednesday afternoon and would continue watching the storm’s strength and track, according to Fox 49 Staff. A later WTXL ABC 27 update reported Decatur County schools closed Friday, Oct. 9.

Munroe Day School in Havana said it will close early Thursday to give students and parents time to prepare for the storm, according to Fox 49 Staff.

For preparedness, the lesson is to keep notification channels current. Districts pointed families to FOCUS, ParentSquare, email, text, websites, apps, and social media for urgent changes.

Emergency declaration and wider Panhandle impact

Gov. Ron DeSantis declared a state of emergency Tuesday for 25 Florida counties, allowing state agencies to position resources and prepare for potential impacts across the Panhandle and Big Bend, according to Fox Weather.

That declaration allows emergency crews to mobilize resources and stage them strategically for rapid deployment if needed. Panama City allowed residents and businesses to fill up to 10 sandbags each from Wednesday through Friday night, while Pensacola and Destin offered free sand at eight locations on a first-come, first-served basis until Friday, according to Fox Weather.

Across Florida, K-12 districts announced closures or early dismissals through Friday, with Escambia County at roughly 36,800 students, Okaloosa County at about 32,000, and Santa Rosa County at nearly 29,600, according to Fox Weather.

Emergency officials ordered the immediate evacuation of Pensacola Beach, with lifeguards flying double red flags to signal closure of the Gulf to water activities. Pensacola police said the Pensacola Bay Bridge, also known as Three Mile Bridge, was closed to traffic as conditions declined, while the Theo Baars and Bob Sikes bridges were also closed.

Those regional actions explain why Big Bend and South Georgia schools did not wait for Friday weather to decide. Closures and early dismissals were positioned as time for families and employees to prepare.

What families should confirm before Friday

Wakulla County students will not return immediately after the Friday closure. Monday, Oct. 12, remains a scheduled Teacher Planning Day with no school for students, and students will return Tuesday, Oct. 13, according to WTXL ABC 27.

Gadsden County families should plan for schools and district offices to be closed Friday and watch for shelter information, according to Fox 49 Staff. The district stated: “The safety of our students, employees, families, and community remains our highest priority.”

Thomas County Central High School’s road game against Houston County was moved to Thursday, Oct. 8, at 7:30 p.m. at Freedom Field in Warner Robins, according to Fox 49 Staff. Brooks County also moved its varsity home game against Cook to Thursday at 7:30 p.m. at Veterans Stadium in Quitman.

Both football changes were intended to complete the games before potentially deteriorating weather Friday. South Georgia football schedule changes continued into Oct. 7 updates as schools prioritized safety ahead of the storm.

Parents should confirm dismissal times, after-care cancellation, campus closing times, and return dates directly with their school. With lists explicitly marked as subject to updates, the Friday plan announced Wednesday or Thursday may not be the final instruction.

Sources referenced