The historic Stone Schoolhouse in Union Springs has just been given another chance to serve the Union Springs Central School District.
On Wednesday state Sen. Michael Nozzolio announced that $238,000 in state aid would be made available to restore the condemed school building on the Junior/Senior High School campus.
The project is subject to voter approval, which is required when any amount of money is delivered by the state, said Union Springs Superintendent Linda Rice. She is looking to bring the project to a vote in the fall.
If approved, the building would serve as the district's state-of-the-art media center.
"This is a major win for the property taxpayers living in the Union Springs School District as well as the students," said Nozzolio in a news release. "Students will have the benefit of a multi-use media center where they will have the opportunity to learn the newest and most current media and video communication skills necessary to compete in today's marketplace. The funding will also make it possible for the school district to save one of the village's most historic buildings."
The district was given an estimate of $65,000 to tear down the schoolhouse, $178,000 to bring the building up to code and $230,000 for student use, Rice said. When the State Education Department had refused to provide state aid to the district, Rice approached Nozzolio, who called upon the state to re-evaluate their position. The Department of Education then rescinded its earlier decision.
"This is incredibly generous of the state," Rice said, "We are very excited. The schoolhouse has been a part of our community for a long time."
Read the full report in Friday's edition of The Citizen.
The project is subject to voter approval, which is required when any amount of money is delivered by the state, said Union Springs Superintendent Linda Rice. She is looking to bring the project to a vote in the fall.
If approved, the building would serve as the district's state-of-the-art media center.
"This is a major win for the property taxpayers living in the Union Springs School District as well as the students," said Nozzolio in a news release. "Students will have the benefit of a multi-use media center where they will have the opportunity to learn the newest and most current media and video communication skills necessary to compete in today's marketplace. The funding will also make it possible for the school district to save one of the village's most historic buildings."
The district was given an estimate of $65,000 to tear down the schoolhouse, $178,000 to bring the building up to code and $230,000 for student use, Rice said. When the State Education Department had refused to provide state aid to the district, Rice approached Nozzolio, who called upon the state to re-evaluate their position. The Department of Education then rescinded its earlier decision.
"This is incredibly generous of the state," Rice said, "We are very excited. The schoolhouse has been a part of our community for a long time."
Read the full report in Friday's edition of The Citizen.
