Two specialized Long Island high schools in danger of closing won a reprieve Thursday night from the Nassau BOCES board and a potential commitment for support from Long Island's favorite son, Billy Joel.

Speaking before a standing-room-only crowd of nearly 200, board members unanimously voted to approve taking steps to grow enrollment and raise funds for the Long Island High School for the Arts and Doshi Science Technology Engineering and Math Institute. Board members told district Superintendent Robert Dillon to submit a report by mid-March on whether it is fiscally sound for the two programs to continue.

Board president Eric Schultz … read a letter from musician Joel, who asked the board not to move toward closing the arts school, saying it should be built “into something Long Island and New York State can be proud of.”

After reading the letter aloud to the crowd, Schultz said he reached out to Joel's manager, who told him “Billy would be both willing personally and professionally to donate to the cause,” Schultz said, adding, however, “his participation alone is not enough.”

Read more at Newsday.

Credit: Jessica Rotkiewicz, Newsday