Thursday, October 1, 2026
Long Beach public schools will be closed this coming week “out of an abundance of caution” to protect staff and students from the spreading Coronavirus, schools Superintendent Dr. Jennifer Gallagher announced Friday.
As of Friday, no Coronavirus cases have been reported in the district. Gallagher said schools will be closed from Monday, March 16 until Friday, March 20.
In a letter to families, Gallagher said several staff members and community members have notified her that they have been tested for the virus. She added that the closure may be extended depending on the results of an assessment by state and local health officials, which will be performed next week.
“We are closing schools based on the premise that “social isolation” is the one thing that we can do proactively to prevent the spread of this virus and keep our community safe,” Gallagher wrote. “A respected local physician told me that he believes that closing our schools may mean the difference between a major outbreak and a minor one on our barrier island.”
Gallagher said take-home materials and resources have been created for children in kindergarten to fifth grade and resources will be posted online for kids in grades sixth to twelve. She added that the district has not received a waiver that would allow substitution of online instruction for actual seat time, which means students would be required to make up the time during Memorial Day Weekend break.
Additionally, the district will not be transporting any children to private or Boces schools, while the Long Beach district is closed.
The district will also be providing free and reduced lunch to students that qualify for it at the Long Beach Recreation Center, St. Mary’s Church, and St. Ignatius Church from 7:30-8:30 p.m., and lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
“I know that our Long Beach community will show their customary resilience and spirit as we work through this crisis together,” Gallagher wrote.
