The DOE has approved the school’s request to be closed to students on Friday June 24th. In addition to Graduation being held on that day, which always pulls roughly 50 teachers and all administrators and guidance staff away from school, the DOE recently notified us that we will also be a Regents grading site this year, on that same day. This creates additional strains to both space and staff because all Physics and Chemistry teachers are required to do grading and will be joined by roughly 200 outside teachers who will need space to grade exams. Our administration thought that this disruption to our students would be difficult to manage effectively. The decision required a faculty vote and a PA vote, both of which passed almost unanimously. If this causes a hardship on your family in any way, please know that you can still send your student to school, though they will be spending the day in the auditorium, with staff there to monitor them.