To the Editor:
As the owner of a seasonal business on Long Beach Island, I employ approximately 45 local high school students and teachers each summer. I just found out that Southern Regional is planning on bringing back students prior to Labor Day weekend. For decades, there has been an understanding that our local schools would not open until after Labor Day. That tradition wasn’t just convenient; it was an important part of the local shore economy.
College students leave in mid-August, and from that point until Labor Day, our businesses depend heavily on local high…
July 22, 2026
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