A $33.9 million bond project to improve all schools within the Lynbrook School District was passed by a vote of 1,254 to 767 on October 3. Last year, a more expensive, but similar $45 million bond project was put up for a vote, but it was voted down by a vote of 1,363 to 1,049. The approved project will enhance facilities of academics, arts, and athletics in all school buildings.

This project will improve academic facilities at Lynbrook High School. Science and STEM classrooms will be modernized and enhanced. A new classroom for Career Development will be connected to a new family and consumer science room, and an Onsite Working Laboratory, or OWL store, will be constructed. Heather Hanson, Board of Education trustee and Lynbrook parent, stated, “I think [Career Development is] really important, and for so many teens, finding a job currently is so much more challenging than in the past, so being able to learn business skills, cooking, making shopping lists, and budgeting for our kids with special needs would be beneficial to them and make them able to be more independent.” More support services and office spaces, general purpose classrooms, and larger creative spaces will also be added. Three new science rooms, a modernized science research facility, and a new STEM room will be added to the school. A new, two-story, 33,274-square foot building will be constructed. Superintendent Dr. Melissa Burak stated, “[The greatest benefit of this bond passing is] opportunities for students. We’re [currently] limited as to what we can provide the kids because we don’t have the space for it.”

The arts facilities at LHS will be enhanced. The auditorium will undergo renovations such as sound, rigging, and acoustical upgrades. Individual classrooms with the proper facilities for chorus, band, and orchestra, as well as updated art classrooms, will be added. A showcase gallery and display cases will also be constructed.

In addition, this project will upgrade athletic facilities across the district. The wrestling room and the girls’ softball locker room at Atlantic Avenue will be refurbished. The issue of the lack of air conditioning in the middle schools, elementary schools, and kindergarten center will finally be resolved. Parent Ivy Reilly said, “My son comes out of school at 3 o’clock, and PE is his last class, he’s dripping with sweat on a 70-degree day. Last summer, when he was in summer playground, I was afraid he would get heat stroke, and in addition to that, it becomes an issue when we have programs like assemblies that we can’t do in school after a certain time of year because you can’t have people in the gym without air conditioning, it becomes a health hazard.” All boys’ and girls’ locker rooms and the coach’s office at North Middle School are going to be renovated. Athletic storage will be constructed at the high school.

This construction is not expected to be a disruption, as the addition will be built first, then classrooms in the existing buildings will be renovated after the classes taught in them are moved to the new buildings. Work connecting the buildings, adding air conditioning, and renovating locker rooms will be completed over the summer.

The district is pleased with the outcome of the vote. Reilly said, “The approval of the bond is a first step in equipping the Lynbrook School District with the facilities that our children need to meet the demands of the 21^st century. Renovations and improvements to our schools are long overdue. I am so pleased that our community made our children a priority.” Additionally, Hanson said, “I think our schools will continue to maintain the level of excellence we’ve had; our facilities will remain on par with our neighbors, many of whom have passed bonds in the past several years, and will maintain the image of our community as affordable, with excellent public schools.”

The district is hopeful that these renovations and additions to the high school will make Lynbrook a more appealing district and help to expand programs and education. Burak said, “A lot of people have put a lot of time and work into revising a proposal that will give the high school some of the important facility space it needs while still reducing the overall cost significantly from the first bond.” After the passing of the vote, Burak stated, “We are thrilled that the revised bond package was passed by 62% of the community who voted.  This package will update a major project in each building and will bring the much-needed space to the high school it has been seeking for years.  This is a huge investment of the taxpayers’ trust and support, and we take that responsibility quite seriously.  We will work together to provide the best opportunities for the students in the Lynbrook Public Schools for many years to come. We are sincerely grateful to all for their support!”