Three Village to add Bloomberg finance lab at Ward Melville High School; district outlines curriculum and funding plan

At the Oct. 22, 2025 Three Village Central School District Board of Education meeting, district technology and business staff outlined plans to install a Bloomberg-equipped finance lab in the Ward Melville High School library to expand business, finance and data-analytics instruction.

Deirdre Rubenstruck, the district’s Executive Director of Technology, described two years of planning across departments and said the lab will include 14 student Bloomberg terminals and a teacher station, large digital displays and a market ticker. Rubenstruck said the lab will give students hands-on exposure to the same platform used by finance professionals and allow students to pursue the Bloomberg Market Concepts certification.

"A Bloomberg terminal is an advanced computer system that provides real time financial data, market analytics, news and trading tools that are used by analysts, investors, and institutions around the world," Rubenstruck said. She added that the intended educational focus includes data literacy, critical thinking and connecting global events to local impacts.

Business department representatives said the lab will integrate into a range of courses — accounting, business management, marketing, Career and Technical Education (CTE) courses and a new AP business finance course planned for the next school year. Eileen Littman of the business department described the lab as a way to strengthen the district’s Career and Technical Education offerings and said the department expects enrollment pressure to grow with the new offerings.

Rubenstruck said the district secured a donation of authentic trading-floor tables, chairs and monitor arms from JPMorgan Chase Global Real Estate and hopes to complete construction of the space in-house with facilities staff. She described a timeline: curriculum planning and training this spring and summer, facilities work during the coming summer, and a planned grand opening in September 2026.

On funding, Rubenstruck said the district uses a zero-based budgeting approach for technology and that the lab’s construction will use in-house labor and certain donated items to limit costs. The district will also integrate curriculum revisions and staff training. The board did not vote on funding at the Oct. 22 meeting; Rubenstruck said planning and approvals are underway and asked for continued board support.

Board and staff discussion touched on scheduling, implementation, the lab’s role across departments and the lab’s potential to produce industry-recognized credentials for students. The board expressed broad support and appreciation to the staff and to the business teachers leading the curriculum work.

District staff estimated a grand opening in September 2026 and said they will continue work on curriculum integration, staff training and facility construction over the coming months.