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Lynnbrook board outlines budget-driven staffing reductions, curricular shifts and changes to morning drop-off
Summary
Superintendent Dr. Lynch told the board the district expects roughly 15 staff reductions through attrition, class-section reductions at elementary schools, changes to middle- and high-school scheduling for writing support and a move to outsource some morning drop-off programs.
Superintendent Dr. Lynch told the Lynnbrook Union Free School District Board of Education that the district plans staffing and program changes tied to declining enrollment and the adopted budget strategy.
Nut graf: The district says it will avoid layoffs by reducing staff through attrition and by adjusting class sections and program delivery; the board heard specific programmatic changes that affect kindergarten sections, West End School, secondary writing instruction and morning drop-off programs.
Dr. Lynch reported the district expects to reduce staff by about 15 positions through attrition rather than layoffs, citing a decline in enrollment since 2014. Based on current projections the district now expects to serve roughly 2,500 students (down from earlier, higher totals). To adjust, the kindergarten center is expected to drop from 10 sections to eight next year while keeping class sizes below 24. West End School is projected to lose three sections next year; class sizes there are expected to remain below 24 and closer to 21–23.
On curriculum, Dr. Balekas (curriculum staff, as introduced during the agenda) described a shift of the ninth-grade writing lab into eighth grade: instead of a single English period, eighth graders would receive one-and-a-half periods of English daily while math periods would be reduced from one-and-a-half to one period. The move is intended to build foundational writing skills earlier and to free elective opportunities at the secondary level.
The district is also streamlining academic intervention services (AIS). The support labs will be rebranded as humanities and STEM AIS labs and will be open to both general education and special education students, with supports offered only to students who need them rather than by classification alone.
Dr. Lynch also said the district will end its long-standing free morning drop-off program at elementary schools and outsource morning care to a licensed provider (Right at School). The district noted that Right at School is not licensed to provide a middle-school drop-off program, and that continuing the district-run middle-school program had cost the district about $60,000 per year after Title I billing was no longer permitted. Under the planned changes, elementary drop-off may not admit students before 8:20 a.m.; middle-school students will not be allowed in the building before 7:55 a.m. except for supervised curricular activities.
Why it matters: The combined changes are meant to balance the budget, keep class size targets, and maintain program quality while avoiding layoffs. The alterations affect family routines, morning childcare costs, course scheduling and elective access for secondary students.
What’s next: Administrators will present additional budget details at the next meeting; the district will work with PTAs and compact committees on the middle-school drop-off implications and notify families about registration and program costs once contracts are finalized.
