Fillmore schools, along with Santa Paula High School, announced late Monday afternoon that they would cancel classes today.

Officials in other districts said they would be monitoring weather and roads into the early morning and then decide whether to hold classes.

"We're keeping the attitude that the show must go on, unless we believe there are safety issues," said Frank DePasquale, superintendent of Moorpark schools.

On Monday, both the Ojai and Fillmore unified school districts closed, primarily because closed roads kept teachers and students from getting to class.

In addition, several campuses in Ventura were closed: De Anza Middle School and E.P. Foster, Sheridan Way and Sunset elementary schools.

Some private schools also canceled classes, including Santa Clara High School in Oxnard and St. Bonaventure High School in Ventura.

From Simi Valley to Ventura, students arrived late for class or simply stayed home, even when their school was open. Some educators reported that attendance was down by as much as one-third.

And it wasn't only children who had a tough time getting to class. At many schools, principals scrambled to cover classes for teachers who couldn't make it to work because of road closures.

Meanwhile, students who did show up had to stay inside for recess and lunch, making for a long day for everyone.

"Everyone was waiting for the phone call that school was canceled, but it never came," said Kathie Ferkin, who teaches a combination kindergarten/first grade class at Cypress School in Newbury Park. "So we're giving out lots of stickers and prizes to little girls and boys who have been good.

"We have to keep them inside because, you know, puddles jump on kids."

Across the county, schools reported leaky roofs and some flooding. Many campuses had sandbags in place, though they didn't always prevent pools of water, which proved an irresistible temptation to kids.

"Kids want to play in the water," said Doug Brumage, a science teacher at Monte Vista School in Camarillo. "They have a tendency to want to get wet, and then they're uncomfortable."

At least one school had more serious flooding. Over the weekend, the Buttercup Preschool in Westlake Village flooded, causing an estimated $100,000 in damage to the school's floor.

"We had crews working there throughout the weekend to get the school ready for its opening today," said Donald Zimring, interim superintendent of the Las Virgenes Unified School District.

Zimring said the floor of the Buttercup Preschool was covered in 3 inches of water. It was the second time in 10 days that the Russell Ranch Road school flooded. Workers suspect the flooding was caused by blocked drains, "although we're still not sure of the exact cause," Zimring said.

Nor were district officials immune from leaks.

"I have a bucket in my office right now," said Moorpark's DePasquale.

Closed roads caused problems for students at California State University, Channel Islands, who were forced to take an alternate route to the Camarillo campus because of flooding on Lewis Road and University Drive.

The university will hold a special registration session Wednesday morning beginning at 8:30 a.m. because of the storms, said spokeswoman Peggy Hinz.

Moorpark College also made a special parking allowance for students on Monday -- the first day of spring semester classes -- after it closed its grass-covered parking lots, again because of flooding.

"We're allowing parking on some of the parallel roads close to the campus since the overflow lots are flooded," said Jeanne Brown, the college's spokeswoman. Campus police also were not issuing parking tickets Monday, Brown said.