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Coronavirus Closure: High School Seniors Face Graduation Without Returning To Classrooms, Parents With Younger Students Worry About Next School Year

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- The news that schools in New York will remain closed for the rest of the academic year has some seniors figuring out ways to say goodbye and parents wondering what the 2020-2021 school year will look like.

It's not how Lynbrook High School seniors ever planned to say goodbye.

"A great way to show that we all care and that our hard work does pay off and that we are being recognized," senior Caroline Ridings told CBS2's Aundrea Cline-Thomas.

At 8:20 p.m. Friday, which is 2020 military time, schools all across Long Island celebrated graduating classes.

In Lynwood, a caravan of cars drove by the high school.

As Gov. Andrew Cuomo officially canceled classes for the rest of the school year, he also dashed hopes for the precious milestones families looked forward to.

"Everybody is doing their part and we're taking it in stride and making the best out of it that we possibly can," Lynbrook High School parent Geraldine Ridings said.

CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC

For other families, like mother Angie Wong's, it means continuing to try to make the best of remote learning.

"My biggest fear is actually having to home-school my children for the next year. I would prefer a professional to do so," Wong said. "I'm not a very good teacher."

Wong created the Brooklyn Moms Facebook page, which has more than 12,000 members.

While the governor's announcement was expected, now the focus has turned to whether schools will reopen in September.

A decision about that has not been made.

"We just want to know definitively so we can plan out what the next two months, three months, four months is going to look like for us," Wong said.

CORONAVIRUS: NY Health Dept. | NY Call 1-(888)-364-3065 | NYC Health Dept. | NYC Call 311, Text COVID to 692692 | NJ Health Dept. | NJ Call 1-(800)-222-1222 or 211, Text NJCOVID to 898211 | CT Health Dept. | CT Call 211

Back at Lynbrook, Principal Joe Rainis isn't ready to say a final farewell. He's still hoping for a chance to honor the students.

"Even if we had to do something like the Naval Academy did and have appropriate social distancing, if we're able to have something like that, let's do that," Rainis said.

For now, the class of 2020 can only cheer from their cars and honk their horns to celebrate their accomplishments.

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