The Long County Board of Education voted during its recent monthly meeting to close all schools after lunch Dec. 18 to kick off Christmas break and give students and teachers an extra half-day off.  
All schools will be closed Dec. 19-Jan. 6.  
Also at the meeting, Superintendent Dr. Robert Waters presented a plaque to Long County High School Principal Scotty Hattaway for the school being designated as a High Progress Reward School. Waters said that LCHS was selected for the award because it was in the top 10 percent of all Title 1 schools in Georgia in achieving the most progress for all students over the last three years on statewide assessments.
Waters also told the BoE that high-school math teacher Amanda Robinson had received a $1,000 grant from Georgia Power. He said that Robinson qualified for the funds by being in the top 25 percent of her graduating class and for being designated as a teacher with a high aptitude.
Waters also reported that the referendum to build a new school passed in the county election, with almost 64 percent of voters being in favor of it. He said he commended county citizens for having the desire to have good facilities for their students. He also thanked the BoE for its support throughout the process.
Waters told the BoE that the school system will receive two new school buses by
Dec. 1. He also presented the Promotion and Retention Board Policy to the BoE to sit on the table until the December meeting.
The BoE also approved its Competitive Food Policy, which states that the school system will take steps to provide hot, healthy meals and snacks in each of its schools.