Local residents are still feeling the effects of the flood that ravaged the Southern Tier in September. MacArthur Elementary School on Vestal Avenue in Binghamton remains shuttered, and its students and teachers have been displaced to other schools.
The Binghamton City School District is considering a number of options for fixing or replacing MacArthur that could cost between $22.58 million and $37.28 million.
Former MacArthur Pre-K students and their teachers are currently attending class at Ben Franklin Elementary School on Conklin Avenue. Kindergarten, first and second grade classes have moved to the Catholic school St. Thomas Aquinas on Aquinas Avenue, and third, fourth and fifth grade classes have moved to another Catholic school, St. Francis of Assisi on Chenango Street.
Classes at MacArthur were last dismissed at 1 p.m. on Sept. 7. The building then suffered three to four feet of flooding on the first floor, which destroyed the school’s library collection, all of its computer hardware and classroom materials.
The second floor of the school, which housed the art and music departments, fared better than the first. Most of the art and music supplies and equipment were spared.
In addition to the damage to the building, more than 500 students and teachers from MacArthur Elementary School are currently displaced from their homes.
Maureen Dahulich, president of the school’s Parent Teacher Association, said that the community is working together to find a solution.
“The community is just trying to stick together and stay strong over this difficult period,” Dahulich said.
The school district is considering three options to renovate or rebuild MacArthur, according to a report in the Press & Sun-Bulletin.
One option would be to build a new school at the current site with a raised floor above flood elevation, at a cost of between $30.58 million and $36.38 million. Another is to build a new school at a site on the city’s South Side, at a cost of between $31.58 million and $37.28 million. The third proposed option involves renovating the present school structure and constructing a permanent flood wall, at a cost of between $22.58 million and $25.78 million.
PTA Treasurer Barbara Putrino said she has mixed feelings about which method would yield the best results.
“Part of me wants to see it back where it is; it has been a part of our lives for so long,” Putrino said. “One of my sons graduated from there and the other was in his final year. The only thing is that by putting it back there we are putting the school at a great risk.”
Barbara Putrino’s son, fifth grader Ben Putrino, expressed similar sentiments.
“I feel mad because I wanted to spend my last year at MacArthur and I am really sad because everything got ruined,” Ben Putrino said. “It’s going to take two to three years to put everything back to normal.”
However, he said he is enjoying his time at his temporary school, St. Francis of Assisi.
“It’s fun to meet new kids and it is really nice that all the kids that lost their supplies were able to get new ones because of fundraising and donations,” he said.
Binghamton University students have stepped up to help the MacArthur community by volunteering to assist the elementary students in their new classrooms.
“We are really grateful for the help of Binghamton University,” Dahulich said. “There has been a huge turnout of volunteers from BU. The kids really look up to the young adults and having them around at St. Thomas and St. Francis has been very helpful.”
There is no projected date for the start of the renovation or rebuilding project.