Students in St. Lucie and Indian River counties will go back to school a few weeks later than normal.

The superintendents for both school districts say back-to-school will be delayed by two weeks.

This means the first day of school will be Aug. 24.

“The additional two weeks gives time for the conditions in the county to improve and additional time for staff to finalize preparations for the school year,” said St. Lucie County Superintendent E. Wayne Gent. “Our number one priority is to return to school safely.”

Other factors in the decision include time to set up general protocols for the safe reopening of schools and safeguards for classrooms and campuses; for the delivery of PPE and other supplies and signs; to train staff on health and safety guidelines; to complete class schedules and support for students with special needs; to get laptops to students who will enroll in MySchool Online, one of three learning options for students this fall; and to fill open teaching positions.

The school calendar will also be revised due to the delayed start.

The latest figures show St. Lucie County with 3,706 cases of coronavirus and 81 deaths and Indian River County with 1,649 cases and 25 deaths.