Lawrence Woodmere Academy a Five Towns institution for more than four decades as LWA and dating to the late 19th and early 20th century formed from the merger of Lawrence Country Day School (1891) and Woodmere Academy (founded 1912) is closing for the 2025-2026 school year.
In a letter sent to families on July 17, the school announced the closure and their decision to not re-open, for the 2025-2026 school year.
“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.
One of the main reasons was their challenging financial situation where revenue fell short of their operating expenses.
“Opening in September without a firm financial footing would have left us facing the possibility of not being able to finish the school year,” the letter continued. “We could not risk putting children and families through that disruption. For that reason, we made the painful but responsible decision to pause operations for the coming year.”
In 2023, the non-sectarian private school nearly closed but was saved through alumni fundraising.
The school on Woodmere Boulevard in its namesake community has distinguished list of alumni including:
Stuart Beck, Roger Berlind, Eric Bloom, Karen Burstein, Michael Cohen, Joe Dallet, Jordan Dingle, Andrew Barth Feldman, Elizabeth Glaser, Aidan Igiehon, David A. Kessler, Ivan R. King, Victor LaValle, Leonard Levitt, John Jacob Loeb, Tyrone Nash, Danny Porush, Karim Shabazz and Rob Weiss.
“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 letter stated.
An expanded story will appear in next week's Nassau Herald.
