Tropical Storm Hilary shutters Southern California schools

District leaders fearing safety hazards from Tropical Storm Hilary moved to close schools across much of Southern California on Monday.

The nation's second largest school district, Los Angeles Unified, announced Sunday it would close to allow staff time to check buildings for damage from the rare West Coast tropical storm — and to avoid potentially dangerous bus rides to school. San Diego Unified pushed the start of its school year to Tuesday, but asked staff to report to work if they could do so safely.

Several other school districts in Los Angeles County, including in Pasadena, also announced plans to close, bracing for the storm to swirl northeast and risk flooding throughout the region.

"We are expected to experience the peak of this storm at midnight, which does not afford enough time for our staff to adequately inspect our facilities," Los Angeles Unified's announcement said, acknowledging that power lines were already down in the county and that flooding was expected. "In addition, we are expecting winds which may adversely impact our transportation network and system, putting students and employees at risk."

Los Angeles Unified is planning to offer remote lessons Monday morning and to reopen Tuesday.