City, archdiocese announce school closures ahead of storm

Anticipating a huge snowfall, New York City schools will be closed Wednesday, officials said. On Long Island, Catholic schools will follow local public schools' lead, officials said.

The city Department of Education made the decision Tuesday morning, a spokeswoman said.

"It is supposed to be so bad, especially in the afternoon," said spokeswoman Marge Feinberg. "We might be able to transport children by bus in the morning, but that could be more difficult in the afternoon."

In addition, all after-school activities, including Public School Athletic League events, have been canceled or postponed.

"We are making this decision today to give parents as much time as possible to make alternative plans for tomorrow," Chancellor Joel Klein said in a statement released by the department.

Roman Catholic schools in Manhattan, Staten Island and the Bronx also will be closed Wednesday, said a spokeswoman for the Archdiocese of New York's superintendent of schools.

So far, Feinberg said, schools are only closed Wednesday.

The National Weather Service is calling for accumulations of 8 to 13 inches Wednesday and "near-blizzard conditions."

Updates will be posted at www.adnyeducation.org, spokeswoman Fran Davies said.

On Long Island, Catholic schools will follow the lead of local public schools, a spokeswoman for the Diocese of Rockville Centre said.

Like city schools, most Long Island private schools use the same bus service as public schools, the spokeswoman said.

"Because of the bus situation, when the public schools close, so do the Catholic schools," she said.

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