“As we go forward, needs change,” said Lester. Donating money rather than items allows the district to tailor donations to its ever-changing needs, he explained.

A Facebook page, “Friends of Long Beach NY School District,” has also been created to help aggregate donation efforts.

Byrne said that school officials and faculty are doing the best they can to get things back on track. Though it can be frustrating on a day-to-day basis, she takes comfort in the progress she has seen in the last month.

“I call this ‘drops in a bucket,’” she said. “And we will fill it.”