Long Beach Public Schools trustees got a fresh look this month at how the district is spending $87.7 million on building repairs, playground overhauls and athletic facility upgrades, with officials saying districtwide HVAC work and several middle-school projects should wrap by spring 2027. The update, delivered during an October 13 board meeting, touched everything from bouncy new playground surfaces at elementary schools to a repurposed classroom now hosting a barbering program at the high school.
Trustees Get the Numbers Behind the Plan
District Assistant Superintendent for Finance and Operations Michael DeVito presented the update on the $87.7 million capital improvement plan, according to Herald Community Newspapers. The plan draws funding from bonds, capital reserve funds and the district general fund, the outlet reports, and some of the work has already been approved by Long Beach taxpayers in past years. The briefing came as students were already back in district buildings for the 2026-27 school year, giving trustees a chance to measure finished projects against those still underway.
New York State Education Department guidance notes that capital reserve fund money must be used for the purpose for which it was authorized, and that some districts can end up with uncommitted funds once a project wraps, according to the New York State Education Department. That broader framework applies to how districts statewide manage reserve dollars earmarked for construction.
Elementary Playgrounds Get a Bouncier, Safer Overhaul
District crews have already renovated playgrounds at East, Lido and Lindell elementary schools, swapping out wood shavings and hardtop surfaces for grass turf and foam-based shock pads, the district update detailed. Crews installed new playground equipment, turf and accessible play features as part of a project that also included resurfacing and drainage improvements. The foam-based shock pads are intended to improve student safety during falls.
Board Vice President Anne Conway and trustee Sam Pinto toured the East and West elementary school playgrounds to see the work firsthand. Conway said the new playground surface is bouncy and helps prevent injuries when children fall.
Middle School Gets Quieter Hallways and a Wellness Room
Long Beach Middle School received repaved walkways and electrical upgrades under the plan, and the school also created a new wellness room. The district is scheduled to complete electrical and plumbing infrastructure improvements at the middle school by spring 2027, aligning with the broader HVAC completion timeline.
Over at Lindell, the district added acoustical panels because teachers and students had been struggling to hear announcements and bells over the loudspeaker. It is a small fix compared to the HVAC and athletic-field work elsewhere in the plan, but one that directly addresses a daily classroom frustration.
High School Sees a New Barbering Program and Athletic Rebuilds
Long Beach High School repurposed a classroom for a new barbering program offered in collaboration with BOCES, giving students a hands-on vocational track inside the building. The high school also refurbished its gymnasium seating to prominently display “L.B.H.S.,” a cosmetic touch alongside the bigger infrastructure projects underway.
On the athletics side, the district plans to reconstruct the high school baseball and softball fields and replace the football field turf, per DeVito. Looking further out, the district plans to reconstruct the high school swimming pool in 2027, with the project including a new liner, tilework, showers, lighting, a skylight and acoustical ceiling panels.
HVAC Replacement and a Spring 2027 Deadline
Districtwide HVAC upgrades are scheduled for completion by spring 2027, with the district planning to replace in-window HVAC units as part of that effort. The timeline ties together several of the plan's biggest-ticket items, from the middle school's electrical and plumbing work to the broader building climate-control overhaul.
Board President Nora Bellsey praised district crews for their work throughout the update, saying the infrastructure work and other improvements were impressive and that she was pleased with the district's direction. For a district juggling bond money, reserve funds and general-fund dollars across more than a dozen separate projects, the spring 2027 target now stands as the clearest marker of how much of the $87.7 million plan will be finished on schedule.
