Coronavirus: South Huntington Schools To Close For 1 Week

SOUTH HUNTINGTON, NY — The South Huntington Union Free School District announced in a Friday letter to the community that all schools will be closed from 5 p.m. Friday (today) through Sunday, March 22 due to the spread of the new coronavirus.

There is no confirmed case of COVID-19 in the South Huntington district, Superintendent Dave Bennardo said.

"It is no secret that this is an evolving situation, and the professional guidance relative to the virus is rapidly changing," Bennardo wrote. "To this end, we are responding as quickly as possible to protect the health and welfare of our school community. With that understood, we are going to close schools next week in order to allow deep cleaning to occur and limit the possibilities of a first infection."

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The "time out" will allow the district to evaluate the rapidly changing variables from a calm, collective perspective, Bennardo said.

"Obviously, the situation is very fluid, and there isn’t anyone in the nation who can honestly predict future developments at this point," he said. "We will be re-evaluating the situation on a daily basis and communicating any and all new information with our learning family."

Teachers have prepared learning packets to keep active thinking moving forward. High school courses, which lead to Regents and Advanced Placement exams, have syllabi that outline the year, and students are reminded to check their e-Boards and teacher websites regularly for information, according to Bennardo.

"Please take care of your families and stay well," Bennardo said.

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