High school cuts the ribbon for newly renovated auditorium

On Dec. 8, the Center Moriches School District hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony to celebrate the completed renovation of the Center Moriches High School auditorium. 

“This auditorium has always been the heart of our school community, and seeing it restored so beautifully was truly inspiring,” said Marissa Mangogna, principal of Center Moriches High School. “Our students now have a performance space that matches their talent, creativity, and energy.”

The completed project was made possible by voter-approved capital reserve funds, includes new seating, flooring, curtains, a fresh coat of paint, and a new lighting and sound system, restoring the auditorium as a centerpiece for school and community events.

“This project reflected the unwavering support of our community,” said Dr. Ricardo Soto, superintendent of schools. “Thanks to our voters and the thoughtful use of capital reserve funds, we created a space that will serve generations of students and residents. We were proud to celebrate this moment together.”

Back in June, the Center Moriches school district passed a proposition to allow the district to draw from its capital reserve to fund a renovation of the Center Moriches High School’s auditorium at no additional cost to taxpayers. The proposition passed with 745 yes votes to 222 no votes.

The auditorium seats, according to musical theater director Nancy Harkin, were “years beyond repair” and needed to be fixed.

“We are ecstatic about the beautiful new auditorium. The drama club is excited and proud to perform ‘The Sound of Music’ as the first musical in the new auditorium,” Harkin said. “Please come check us out on the last weekend in February.”

The proposed project  included new auditorium seating, flooring, curtains, a fresh coat of paint, and a state-of-the-art lighting and sound system. Prop 2 was for the district to use $1.2 million of the capital reserve to fund the renovation of the high school auditorium. The original reserve was approved by voters in May of 2022.

The reserve is funded with surplus from the previous year’s end and cannot exceed $5,000,000 at any point in time. The voters approved the district to use the capital reserve to pay for projects.