Long Beach Voters Decide Fate of $87M Bond Resolution

LONG BEACH, NY. – Voters in the Long Beach Public School District approved an $87 million bond resolution Tuesday, with district officials reporting a 727-131 vote in favor of the resolution.

The bond resolution authorized the district to borrow $87,697,655 to fund a host of capital improvements to Long Beach schools, including HVAC installation, playground renovations, athletic field and locker room upgrades and new instructional space installation at the high school.

The borrowing will carry a 15-year repayment period, district officials said, but no one is breaking ground on any construction yet. According to Michael DeVito, assistant superintendent of finance and operations for the district, the next step is to submit plans to the state for approval.

“Firstly, the district will send plans to the State Education department to get the project specifications approved,” DeVito said. “The State must issue a permit to allow us to move forward. Once approvals are received, the district will solicit bids from vendors for the projects.”

As for which areas of Long Beach schools might be the first to see some improvements made, DeVito said the district anticipates, “that the playgrounds may be the first [project] to receive approval based on their scope.”

He added in a statement to Patch: “If the state approvals and bid process move forward in a timely manner, the district hopes to begin work in the summer of 2026. However, as stated, this is largely dependent on state approvals."