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Great Homes
LWA pauses operations for 2025-26 By MELISSA BERMAN mberman@liherald.com
Melissa Berman/Herald
In a letter sent to families on July 16, Lawrence Woodmere Academy announced that it would not reopen for the 202526 school year due to financial constraints.
Lawrence Woodmere Academy, a school with a history that dates to the late 19th century, is not reopening for the 2025-26 school year. The private school in Woodmere announced the decision in a letter sent to school families on July 16. “With a heavy heart, the Board of Directors has made the incredibly difficult decision not to open Lawrence Woodmere Academy for the 2025-26 academic year,” the letter stated. “We want to be clear: this is a pause, not a closure. The Board will spend the coming year exploring what a truly sustainable future could look like.” The school faced a challenging financial situation in which revenue fell short ContInued on pAge 8
Hewlett High School undergoes major upgrades By BRIAN NORMAN bnorman@liherald.com
When students return to Hewlett High School in September, they’ll notice major upgrades inside and outside the building. The school has undergone a series of renovations that have reinvigorated some of its facilities. Several science classrooms have been reconfigured to improve sound, sight lines and the interaction of students and teachers. Desks were previously set up in long, front-to-back rows, but the rooms now feature shorter, horizontal rows of desks, with teachers’ desks
repositioned as well. District Superintendent Dina Anzalone said that the improvements would help students see the lessons and hear the teachers more clearly. The updated classrooms also include new furniture and modernized safety equipment, such as eye wash stations and safety showers, as well as additional cabinet space. Anzalone said that all of the projects included input from multiple stakeholders in the district including athletics and co-curricular committees, Board of Education members, administrators, teachers, coaches, athletes, community
groups, music staff, students and PTA members, who have devoted their time to ensuring that students have the best equipment and learning spaces. “(This technology) is the future,” she said. “We are trying to help students figure out who they want to be when they grow up. Whether that means going off to vocational school or going off to college and university, we want to equip them with the tools they need here to be successful and make those informed decisions about pursuing their passions beyond the walls of Hewlett High School.” The high school auditorium was also renovated, and now
has improved acoustics and a newly built mezzanine, which houses the sound and light systems and increased seating by 150. The auditorium was repainted, and new flooring was installed on stage. The renovations, which began under the watch of former Superintendent Ralph Marino Jr. in June 2024, are expected to be
finished by the start of the school year. “Our auditorium was over 30 years old, and it needed to be updated to today’s times,” Andrew Fund, the districts director of art and music, said. “It is all electronic controlled. It is safer, the acoustics can be controlled, it’s better for music, ContInued on pAge 12