Virtually all schools on Long Island closed because of blizzard
Tom Norman III and his son, Tom Norman IV, of Patchogue, play lacrosse as snow starts to fall in Sayville on Sunday. Credit: Thomas Hengge
For many Long Island students who spent the past week on February break, no need to pack up that bookbag quite yet.
With a massive blizzard pummeling the East Coast from Baltimore to Boston, virtually all schools, from preschool to college, will shut their doors to students on Monday for a good old-fashioned snow day, although a handful will open for remote learning.
The overwhelming majority of public and private schools across the island announced Sunday that they will be closed on Monday, as the blizzard — which could drop nearly 2 feet of snow in some areas — is expected to continue through the early afternoon before tailing off before the evening rush.
On Sunday, the state Education Department granted waivers for school districts to close on Monday, without remote instruction for students and without necessarily having to make up the day later.
Under typical conditions, schools are required to be in session 180 days each year to receive their full allocation of state aid. But the law allows the education department to disregard that requirement if the closure was due to "extraordinarily adverse weather conditions" during a state of emergency.
While most schools and districts will cancel classes Monday, a few will utilize remote learning instruction. They include St. Anthony's High School in South Huntington; St. John the Baptist Diocesan High School in West Islip; St. Patrick Religious Education and St. Patrick School, both in Bay Shore; The Hagedorn Little Village School and Toddler Time, both in Seaford; Upper Room Christian School in Dix Hills; St. Joseph's University in Patchogue; and SUNY Old Westbury.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani said Sunday that city schools would also have a "real snow day" on Monday, their first one in seven years.
Meanwhile, it remained unclear whether schools across the Island will open on Tuesday.
Some districts, including East Meadow, have indicated they would be required to utilize remote learning on Tuesday if schools remain closed, as the district has "exhausted all available snow days." Many districts closed on Jan. 26 after nearly a foot of snow fell across the region.
Robert Brodsky is a breaking news reporter who has worked at Newsday since 2011. He is a Queens College and American University alum.
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'Very strong winds on the Island' A dangerous winter storm has hit Long Island. Newsday meteorologist Bill Korbel reports. Plus, Andrew Ehinger reports on how officials are preparing for the storm.
