Thursday, October 1, 2026
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, and it is better equipped for the 21st century.”
Anzalone added that the developers of the project, SCC Construction Management of Hauppauge and architect John A Grillo Design, said that this will make Hewlett High School “the most high-tech auditorium in Long Island” when the work is completed.
Elsewhere, a new floor in the gym will allow the volleyball court to be repositioned at the center of the space, and enable the use of bleachers on both sides during matches, school officials said.
David Viegas, the district’s director of health, physical education and athletics, noted that the changes will make the school a more viable host of regional competitions.
“Now not only can we pack the (bleachers) on the home side, but the visitors’ side as well,” Viegas said. “If we ever wanted to host the (volleyball) county championship, now we could do that.”
The school’s tennis courts are being redone as well. The five courts will be renovated and repainted to feature the blue and green used at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in Queens. The work is projected to be completed and ready for use by the school’s tennis teams and the community when students return in September.
A concession stand for all sporting events is being built near the football field’s bleachers. The stand, and new lights behind the fields bleachers, in front of the gym and pool entrance, will be under construction until late fall, school officials said.150115
A total of just under $6.2 million will be spent on the auditorium; the science labs will cost just over $5.3 million, and reconstruction of the tennis courts with lighting and the concession stand will cost $3.9 million. Funding came from several sources, including capital reserves and annual transfers to capital. Because reserves are being used, there will be no additional cost to taxpayers.
Have an opinion on the Hewlett High School renovations? Send a letter to mberman@liherald.com.
