Top Lynbrook School Stories of 2012

This year proved to be a difficult one for the Lynbrook School District. Although students, parents and staff celebrated many accomplishments, approved a budget despite a tax cap and began work on capital projects, they also mourned the loss of their beloved leader.

Then, ofcourse there was Superstorm Sandy.

Here's a look at the top 12 stories coming out of the Lynbrook School District in 2012.

1. Lynbrook Schools Chief Santo Barbarino Dies Suddenly: Days before Lynbrook schools opened for the start of the 2012-2013 school year, students, faculty and parents learned that their beloved superintendent suffered a fatal heart attack. Assistant Superintendent Melissa Burak was later appointed to lead the district on an interim basis as the board tapped an outside firm to conduct a search for a more permanent replacement.
2. Lynbrook BOE Says 'No' to Private School Late Buses: The Lynbrook Board of Education denied a request to add late busing for private school students in the district due to financial reasons.
3. Lynbrook Basketball Star Breaks School Record: Lynbrook High School Brooke Gerstman set a new school record, breaking the one set in 1989.
4. UPDATE: Anti-Semitic Graffiti Found at Lynbrook High School: After hateful graffiti was found on an exterior wall at Lynbrook High School, rumors circulated that school officials were considering cancelling the senior prom and graduation for the Class of 2012.
5. 94 Lynbrook Students Qualify for All-County Music Festival: A record number of Lynbrook Public School students in grades 4 through 12 qualified to perform in the New York State School Music Association’s All-County Festival in 2012.
6. Lynbrook School Community Rallies to Keep Burak in Superintendent Role: As the Lynbrook Board of Education hired an outside firm to conduct a search for a new superintendent, some parents and faculty asked them to give the job to Interim Superintendent Melissa Burak and save the district money.
7. Jessica Kuehn Named Nassau County Math Teacher of the Year: A fourth grade Lynbrook teacher received an honor from Nassau County in 2012.
8. Turf Field Plan Sparks Controversy at Lynbrook BOE Meeting: As Lynbrook school officials were planning out the district’s capital projects for the year, a proposal to install at turf field at Marion Street School was met with some opposition.
9. Schools Adopting New York Schools Devastated by Sandy: A group of Lynbrook residents helped spearhead a program so that schools across the country could adopt those devastated by Superstorm Sandy including schools in neighboring East Rockaway.
10. Lynbrook Horizon Wins 20 Press Awards: Lynbrook High School’s student newspaper took home a record number of awards this year.
11. Lynbrook Schools Change Calendar Due to Hurricane Sandy: To recoup the instructional time when Superstorm Sandy, a Nor’easter and the aftermath of both forced its schools to shut down for nearly two weeks, Lynbrook school officials had to take back a number of vacation days from students and teachers in 2013.
12. Waverly Park's Use of Art Recognized by US Education Department: One Lynbrook elementary school captured the eye of education leaders in Washington this year for its use of art in the classroom.

What local school issue interested you the most in 2012? What do you hope to see happen in 2013? Tell us in the comments section below.