This summer, the school building will undergo many renovations and additions that many students will benefit from. 

Some of the areas that will receive major upgrades include the cafeteria, the library, and a new mock trial courtroom. These locations were prioritized because the district architect is in agreement with administration that these upgrades are necessary.

“All of the different changes are based on infrastructure needs, based on the educational programs that we have in place or are looking to move towards, and what a good use of space would be for not only the students, but also the community,” said associate superintendent for business and operations Laura Newman.

The 2019 Bond, designed to raise money to upgrade multiple places in the school, includes the long awaited and highly anticipated air conditioning installations in the gym, the library, and the cafeteria. This project will be fully completed by the summer of 2024. 

“We really go through a lengthy process and there are a lot of people involved,” said Newman.

One of the exciting revamps for the school will be the library. The walls and flooring will be stripped down and completely new. The structure and layout of the library will also be changed. New furniture that will allow flexible seating and collaborative work, and technology will be added as well. 

“It will really look like a college campus library,” said assistant principal Eric Biagi. 

The library will include flexible seating to allow students to easily collaborate with one another. 

“Commack has done a really nice job of reimagining spaces to make them more responsive to the way students learn right now; a lot more hands-on and collaborative,” said Biagi.

Another room that will be modernized is the cafeteria. The functionality and aesthetics will be improved. The countertops and layout of the serving area will be redesigned. The room will be furnished with various styles of seating. 

“It’s going to be a whole mix of booths, and high-tops, and floor tops, and lounge seating,” said Biagi.

A new addition to the school will be the mock trial courtroom. It will be located near the Art Gallery. The goal is to expose students to real-world experiences and hopefully draw more to join the mock trial club and try out for the team. This will allow students to experience a real courtroom setting. The room will also be utilized for the College Business and Personal Law classes. 

“The room will look very much like a courtroom, with a judge’s bench, a place for witness testimony, a jury box, the attorney table, and a place for people to watch the trial take place,” said business teacher and Mock Trial club adviser, Sandra Braun, in an email.

The Commack school district is working toward buying their own food trailer for students, hoping to utilize funds from the lunch program to pay for it. 

“All of the different changes are based on infrastructure needs, based on the educational programs, and what is a good use of space,” said Newman.🔳