Will my school be closed tomorrow? What to know as Long Island schools dig out from snowstorm
Huntington High School custodians Jeremy Coley, left, and Kyheem Green, right, clear snow from walkways at the school Monday morning. Credit: Kathy M Helgeson
Some Long Island children and their weary parents can look forward to catching extra shut-eye Tuesday morning, after digging out from the weekend snowstorm.
In Nassau County all public schools planned to start on time Tuesday, according to Marie Testa, president of the Nassau County Council of School Superintendents. But several Suffolk schools announced two-hour delayed openings for Tuesday, mainly due to road conditions and to allow staff and students enough time to arrive safely.
“Riverhead Central School District will have a two-hour delay...out of an abundance of caution due to the winter storm and anticipated icy road conditions,” district spokeswoman Azaria Vargas said in an email.
Adam Fine, superintendent of East Hampton schools said in an email, the “extra two hours will make a huge difference,” for staff and students and will give crews extra time to clear the facilities.
Patchogue-Medford, Longwood and Middle Country were also among the districts planning to start classes late.
Some school officials said the main roads were reportedly in good shape, while side roads were still not completely clear as of Monday evening.
Timothy Eagen, president of the Suffolk County School Superintendents Association, said in an email that some districts, including Huntington and Smithtown, anticipated starting on time Tuesday.
He said commuters should “take it slow and allow some extra time to get where you need."
Traditional snow day for many
The Jericho, Bellmore-Merrick and Levittown districts were also among those that announced normal start times on Tuesday.
Robert Kravitz, superintendent of Jericho schools, said Monday he was closely communicating with other school officials and keeping an eye on road conditions to help inform his decision.
Many districts on Long Island opted for a traditional snow day on Monday, with no classes held. But students in at least two districts, Plainedge and Oysterponds, were required to attend classes remotely.
Justin Cobis, superintendent and principal of Oysterponds schools, said in an email Monday the district has been participating in remote instruction in lieu of snow days for the past several years.
Cobis said the district’s calendar includes 182 instructional days plus four conference days for staff, making it “tricky” to plan the yearly calendar with additional built-in snow days. If buildings can't reopen on Tuesday, students will have another remote instruction day, he said.
Students in New York City will also return to classes in-person after a remote day of instruction.
Newsday's Darwin Yanes contributed to this story.
Lorena Mongelli has been reporting for Newsday since 2021. Prior to that, she covered breaking news at the New York Post.
