Letter from Billy Joel, Pledge of Support, Helps Prevent Imminent Closing of Two Long Island Schools

A letter of support from Long Island native Billy Joel, read to nearly 200 parents and students at a Nassau County Boards of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) meeting on Thursday night, helped two specialized Long Island high schools win a reprieve from imminent closing.

New York State's BOCES schools provide shared educational programs and services to school districts within the state. Newsday reports that the Long Island High School for the Arts and the Doshi Science Technology Engineering and Math Institute have been in danger of closing because of failing enrollment and dwindling tuition revenue.

"Long Island needs to embrace the arts," the letter reads. "I went to public school on Long Island and I am grateful for the music program and my music teachers for helping provide me the tools for which I have based my career. I understand that closing this school does not mean the end of music and arts programs on Long Island, but it does indicate our willingness to abandon a school that has been there for 40 years rather than build it up into something Long Island and New York State can be proud of."

Joel's manager has stated that the music icon is willing to personally and professionally donate to the cause.

In light of the possibility of new financial support for the schools, New York State Senator Carl Marcellino (R-Syosset), who chairs the Senate Education Committee, confirmed that he will meet with BOCES administrators to discuss their fates, most likely during the next week.

Click here for the full story.

Read Billy Joel's full letter below.

Having sold more than 150 million records, Billy Joel ranks as one of most popular recording artists and respected entertainers in the world. Throughout the years, Joel's songs have acted as personal and cultural touchstones for millions of people, mirroring his own goal of writing songs that "meant something during the time in which I lived ... and transcended that time."

Billy Joel has had 33 Top 40 hits and 23 Grammy nominations since signing his first solo recording contract in 1972. In 1990, he was presented with a Grammy Legend Award. Inducted into the Songwriters Hall of Fame in 1992, Joel was presented with the Johnny Mercer Award, the organization's highest honor, in 2001. In 1999 he was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, and has received the Recording Industry Association of America Diamond Award, presented for albums that have sold over 10 million copies. Visit billyjoel.com.