BATAVIA, Ohio — Clermont Northeastern Local Schools will open the 2026-27 school year Tuesday, Aug. 18, a delay caused by storm damage that has left the district’s Hutchinson Road campus without power and blocked surrounding roads, Superintendent TJ Dorsey said in a letter to families posted to Facebook.
The district said crews had staged an “army” of utility repair vehicles in the school parking lot and were working to restore power. Administrators planned to spend Friday and into Monday morning conducting full building assessments and systems checks before reopening to students, according to the letter.
An Open House originally planned for earlier in the week will now be held Monday, Aug. 17, from 5 to 6:30 p.m., the district said, so families can still meet teachers and tour classrooms ahead of the first day.
The delay also changes plans for the district’s youngest students. Kindergarten had been set for a staggered start with boys and girls beginning on different days, but the district said all kindergartners will now start together on Tuesday, Aug. 18. Extra staff will be on hand that morning to help new students get settled, according to the letter.
“Thank you so much for your patience, flexibility, and understanding as we navigate these unexpected conditions,” Dorsey wrote, adding that the district would share additional updates as repairs continue.
The outage stems from severe thunderstorms that swept across Clermont County Tuesday night, snapping trees and utility poles and knocking out power to roughly 40,000 Duke Energy customers countywide. CNE closed its campus Wednesday and Thursday as crews worked to clear debris and restore electricity to the district.
The information contained in this story was obtained from Clermont Northeastern Local Schools.