Superintendent Reveals Facility Upgrade Recommendations at Lynbrook BOE Meeting

Lynbrook Superintendent Dr. Santo Barbarino gave his facility upgrade recommendations to the Lynbrook Board of Education at Wednesday night’s monthly meeting.

The building outline included such projects as an elevator, band rehearsal rooms, locker room renovations, bleacher removal, and a new turf field at It also included air conditioning installation in the Waverly Park Elementary School cafeteria/gym and a turf field at Marion Street Elementary School.

The potential upgrade is part of the Lynbrook Union Free School District’s ongoing strategic planning initiative. The suggestions acted as a “conceptual map,” according to Barbarino. It will be up to the board whether or not they will accept any or all of the Superintendent’s plan. Any official decisions will be made at a later date.

In determining the recommendation, Barbarino said the district spoke with an architect to ascertain the approximate cost of the project(s).  

Financing the plan could involve the use of capitol reserve funds and the establishment of a bond, according to Barbarino.

Based on the architectural estimates, the proposed plan would remove be $6.4 million out of the capital reserve fund. The districts current capital reserve fund has $6.9 million in it, according to Assistant Superintendent for Business Dr. Melissa Burak.

Programs paid for on bond would include a performing arts theater, science instructional classrooms, and rehearsal rooms.

“We don’t need to come to any kind of a decision this evening,” Board president Catherine Papandrew said. “These are the recommendations that the Superintendent is making based on the information contained in the strategic plan. We will revisit this when we start our budget development work sessions.”

The first of those three sessions will occur on Feb. 15. The budget specific to building will be presented on Feb. 29.    

Barbarino also updated the board on a lawsuit that Lynbrook had entered in with 40 other districts challenging a Nassau County ruling stating “the burden of assessments would be placed on the school districts.” School districts would be responsible for over taxation.      

While the New York State Supreme Court sided with Nassau County’s decision, the lawyers for the 40 school districts will appeal that ruling, according to the Superintendent.

“[The lawyers] knew that there would be an appeal stage regardless of initial outcome,” Barbarino said. “They feel there was a misunderstanding with respect to the law and that’s why they lost the first round. They are very confident that this will go our way. It’s not over.”