This North Side elementary school has received a funding boost for overdue renovations

After multiple setbacks over the past year, Theodore Roosevelt Elementary School in Binghamton will have access to extra capital funds to renovate and improve conditions at the school.

The funds come from a provision in the recently passed New York State Budget, and will allow the Binghamton City School District to access two times their multi-year cost allowance for building aid from the state, meaning the district will receive 10 years of funding up front, as opposed to the normal five years of funding.

While there is not yet a set dollar amount the district will receive, the project itself is estimated to cost $52 million.

According to Binghamton City School District Superintendent Tonia Thompson, renovations without the increased funding would have taken up to 25 years — with the funding, they will be completed in the next five.

Planned renovations at Theodore Roosevelt Elementary School

On Wednesday morning, New York State Senator Lea Webb, Assemblywoman Donna Lupardo and Thompson were joined by representatives from state, local offices and community groups to announce the successful inclusion of accelerated funding for Roosevelt.

Thompson said an important part of moving the renovation project forward is the $20 million the district has in their capital reserves, a savings strategy Thompson said was implemented after receiving funding during the COVID-19 pandemic. The combination of accelerated funding and accessing existing capital reserves is what will allow for significantly faster completion on the renovation project.

Background: Binghamton district looks to rebuild or fix North Side school: Here are next steps, cost

The funding will help bring the school up to 21st century standards, involving large changes all over the school.

One important part of renovations will be the removal of asbestos from the school, which currently affects 85% of the building. The school's three-story instructional wing will be rebuilt in a different area of the school, allowing for classrooms which currently fall under the minimum square footage standards to be expanded.

The building's hub, which includes the cafeteria, office and library, will be completely gutted and renovated. Other changes include creating a parent drop-off area and a new play space. According to Thompson, school is expected to continue during the renovations.

How long did it take to receive funding for Theodore Roosevelt Elementary School?

Lupardo said the provisions for accelerated funding were originally planned to be in last year's budget, but ended up not being approved. Late last year, a standalone bill for funding for the school sponsored by Webb and Lupardo passed through the Assembly and Senate, but was ultimately vetoed by New York Gov. Kathy Hochul. The funding was approved in this year's budget.

"We have been able to get permission to allow them to access much more building aid than they ordinarily would have," said Lupardo. "This type of procedure is typically restricted to large city school districts. They had a compelling case we made together that this school really deserved extra attention."

According to Webb, the funding was only achieved through collaboration between elected officials, local organizations and the Binghamton community, and will create lasting positive change for the area.

"The North Side of Binghamton not only has significant needs, but there are a lot of opportunities and key stakeholders which anchor not just the North Side, but our community — Roosevelt is a prime example of that," said Webb.

What happens next

A school board vote will be held in the upcoming months, to access capital reserve funds.

If the proposal is accepted, initial stages of renovation will begin, which include reaching out to construction companies, creating plans and designs and meeting with families to keep them informed on renovations.

Thompson said construction work will likely not start for another year.

This article originally appeared on Binghamton Press & Sun-Bulletin: Roosevelt Elementary renovations funding boost: What we know