Thursday, October 1, 2026
Uniondale High School’s auditorium is set to undergo its first major technology upgrade in years after Nassau County unanimously secured nearly $278,000 to modernize the venue with new audiovisual equipment, lighting and other improvements.
The project will be funded by a Community Revitalization Project grant announced on July 27, secured by County Legislator Olena Nicks, a Uniondale High graduate who now represents the community in the Legislature in Uniondale.
“We completed the application for the Community Revitalization Program, and we explained the needs in the application,” Christine Lopes, the Uniondale school district’s grant coordinator said. “They returned our call and said they could help us out with our needs.”
After the district submitted its application, the county estimated how much the proposal would cost.
“We put together a proposal for them of the items that we were looking for,” Lopes said, “like the lighting and the control panels and the different upgrades we needed.”
The funding will be used to modernize the auditorium with upgraded sound, projection, microphone and control systems, projection screens, LED lighting, a professional podium, large-format television display panels and roll-top covers to protect audiovisual equipment.
“Providing Uniondale’s students with access to cutting-edge audiovisual technology will provide them with outstanding hands-on educational opportunities that are essential in the digital age,” Nicks said in a statement last week. “Moreover, it will enhance Uniondale High School’s versatility as a venue that will benefit the entire community.”
For district Superintendent Monique Darrisaw-Akil, the improvements address a longstanding need. “Our high school auditorium is one of two auditoriums that we have in our school district,” she said. “It’s not just used by the high school. It is also utilized by all the schools for stepping-up ceremonies, as well as numerous community events.”
Throughout the year, the auditorium also hosts student performances, including concerts by the district’s Show Choir and music ensembles, as well as the culminating performance for the Summer Arts Program.
Darrisaw-Akil said that the auditorium has not received any significant technology upgrades in years. Some of its projectors are broken, limiting how the space can be used.
“I’ve been here going on six years,” she said. “We have not had any auditorium repairs, particularly as technology is changing with sound and lighting.”
Beyond improving performances and presentations, district officials said the project will create new educational opportunities for students interested in audiovisual technology.
“Our goal is that eventually our students would be able to not only perform in front of the camera, but also learn how to direct and do some of the behind-the-scenes work,” Darrisaw-Akil said, “in terms of working the lighting and some of the equipment.”
The district, Lopes said, identified the auditorium as a priority when it applied for the grant. In addition to the audiovisual upgrades, the proposal includes replacing carpeting and repairing damaged seating.
District officials also believe the improvements will reduce the need to rent outside venues for performances and ceremonies, while creating opportunities to host additional community events.
Darrisaw-Akil called the auditorium “the crown jewel” of Uniondale High, and said that the investment would benefit students and residents alike.
“Having strong audiovisual is really so important to celebrate the quality of the performances that our students do, to give them an opportunity to really have a professional experience,” she said. “It’s very important to our students, but this is also a win for the entire community that really utilizes all of our facilities.”
