Binghamton City School District

Educate Empower Challenge

We could not be Patriot prouder of senior Nysein Reese, the winner of this year’s prestigious Patriot Scholarship. Reese plans to attend the State University of New York at Buffalo.

Full in-person instruction will resume at both East and West middle schools on Friday, Jan. 14.

We are writing with an update regarding our plans to provide instruction for middle school students next week. Unfortunately, our district continues to be negatively impacted by a COVID-related bus driver shortage.

Budget Roundtable, ThoughtExchange: The Binghamton City School District is working to identify priorities and gather input from our stakeholders as we craft our budget for the 2022-2023 academic year. We will hold a budget roundtable on Monday, Jan. 10. It will take place at 6:30 p.m. via Zoom.

New York State has provided us with at-home COVID testing kits. While our district provides testing for students at school, we would also like to make them available for testing at home.

Students return to school from the long winter recess on Monday, Jan. 3, as local COVID-19 cases are on the rise and home testing kids are in short supply across the state. In response to this, the Governor announced earlier this week that New York State will be providing schools with additional testing kits so every student has the opportunity to test. We anticipate these additional tests to arrive in the district sometime next week.

Students at East Middle School are collecting non-perishable food items this holiday season to support the Traci CARES Food Pantry as well as the Binghamton community.

The Binghamton City School District is pleased to be offering testing opportunities to all students and staff, on a completely voluntary basis, both before and after our winter recess. Rapid testing will take place in all buildings on a walk-in basis on Wednesday, Dec. 22 and Monday, Jan. 3.

The most recent issue of BToday will be hitting mailboxes soon.

The Binghamton City School District is pleased to announce our Fall Teams who have attained Scholar-Athlete Awards through the NYSPHSA (NYS Public High School Scholar Association) Program!

In November the fourth graders at Calvin Coolidge Elementary focused on the district-wide character trait of gratitude by holding a canned soup (and other non-perishable food item) drive for CHOW.

It’s a time-honored Binghamton tradition 26 years in the making, and a favorite for our students and community. Binghamton High School student volunteers hosted the annual Thanksgiving Dinner in a COVID-friendly fashion.

BCSD graduate Austin Tanner returned to his roots to talk with BHS students about his career in broadcasting on Monday, Nov. 22.

SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions) raised awareness of the dangers of drunk and distracted driving at Binghamton High School's annual holiday tree lighting on Tuesday, Nov. 23.

On Nov. 18 two fifth grade students from the Binghamton City School District were recognized as Akshar All-Stars. Thomas Jefferson student Abigail Okogu and Horace Mann student Dante Osborne received a surprise visit from Senator Fred Akshar to announce their awards.

We are calling on our school community to help us highlight the wonderful people, accomplishments and events that deserve to be recognized. Let us know about the great things that are happening inside and outside of our school building.

The Binghamton City School District is looking for input into when and how board meetings are held (day of week, time of day, location, access etc…). Under Open Meetings Law, the public has the right to attend meetings of public bodies, listen to board member debate and watch the decision-making process.

This weekend students from the Binghamton High School Rod Serling School of Fine Arts will present Clue at the Helen Foley Theatre. The play is based on the iconic 1985 Paramount movie which was inspired by the classic Hasbro board game.

On the latest episode of WBNG's 1st and 12, Scott Sasina features Binghamton High School senior Xymier Thomas.

This week students from Binghamton City School District participated in the annual Engineering Day Event at Broome-Tioga BOCES. On Tuesday, Nov. 9, and Wednesday, Nov. 10, students in grades 3 – 8 came together to compete with students from 17 local school districts.

The Binghamton City School District is excited to partner with the Broome County Health Department to offer COVID-19 vaccination opportunities to eligible students, ages 5 and above.

The Binghamton City School District is proposing a $41.7 million capital project which will be voted on by taxpayers on Dec. 14. The project includes upgrades for infrastructure, technology, accessibility, programs and health and safety projects.

This week, FOX 40 and ETM Solar Works congratulate Mr. Kyle Skinner on being named Teacher of the Week. This is year four as Principal at Benjamin Franklin Elementary School for Mr. Kyle Skinner. First grade teacher, Amy Putney, nominated Mr. Skinner for Teacher of the Week.

The Binghamton City School district is looking for students to create a new image for our Patriot. Top designs will embody what it means to be a Binghamton Patriot, someone who loves and supports the school district, demonstrates pride and represents all students!

This year the Binghamton City School District will be utilizing five built-in snow days, which will be non-instructional days. If all five snow days are used, the district will identify future days needed for inclement weather as remote learning days.

Now there’s an easier way to stay informed about your child’s current school schedule, grades, assignments and more with the new SchoolTool Mobile App. With the SchoolTool Mobile App you can get in-the-moment push notifications about your child’s assignments, grades and attendance.

The Binghamton City School District is embarking on an exciting comprehensive planning process for a long-term facilities improvement project that will shape the vision for our school buildings in the years ahead.

The Binghamton City School District is making every effort to ensure eligible students have access to reliable transportation to and from school. The nationwide shortage of school bus drivers is impacting districts around the country, including ours.

The Binghamton City School District celebrated its Board of Education with an annual breakfast Tuesday morning, in observance of National School Board Recognition Week. School board members are elected representatives, who volunteer their time with the ultimate goal of supporting the district and increasing student achievement.

We are excited to announce that we are now offering the convenience of online registration through FamilyID (www.familyid.com), which is now part of the ArbiterSports family!

There’s a new leader at the helm of Patriot Athletics! The Binghamton City School District is proud to introduce Mr. Jeremiah Johnson as our new Director of Athletics and Student Engagement.

The IRS is reaching out to America’s school districts to request their partnership in disseminating information about the Advance Child Tax Credit Payments in 2021, which could provide families, financial assistance of up to $1,800 per qualifying child.

School was out for summer, but the learning continued for teachers across the Binghamton City School District! A rich variety of professional development opportunities were offered to both new employees (we added nearly 60 new members to our instructional team this summer!) and veteran teachers.

Binghamton High School is offering a half-day virtual academy for eligible juniors and seniors.

We anticipate full in-person student instruction, 5-days per week, for BCSD students for the 2021-2022 school year. There will not be a hybrid learning option as there was last year, although we do know that some students may have unique medical situations that require fully remote instruction.

The newest edition of BToday, featuring the Class of 2021 will be hitting mailboxes soon, but you can read the entire edition in advance online now!

A list of school supplies has been added to the district website for the 2021-2022 school year!

She lightheartedly calls herself “the gray-haired witch”, but anyone who’s ever met Joyce DeRitis knows that calling her a witch couldn’t be farther from the truth.

Are you interested in participating in Fall Sports? Sign up forms have been added to the district athletics page

Ed Gee, a Horace Mann physical education teacher and West Middle girls basketball coach, was awarded for his heroic actions in saving a man’s life in January 2020.

The well-known proverb says that necessity is the mother of invention. During the pandemic, physical education teachers in the Binghamton City School District have been facing challenges teaching students who are learning at home.

A veteran occupational therapist of two decades, Binghamton City School District’s Kim Wiggins saw a need for easy-to-apply lesson plans for parents, therapists and teachers. Ideas that would allow them to approach sensory issues with children in grades K through 5, helping them past obstacles and allowing the children to move on to other areas of learning.

When Binghamton High School’s Rod Serling School of Fine Arts presents their annual play “The 39 Steps” - it’ll be from a safe distance. The one-time streaming performance will begin at 7 p.m. Friday, March 19.

The Broome County Health Department has approved the district’s plan to participate in Interscholastic Athletics. The Broome County Health Department has issued protocols and procedures we must follow to be able to participate.

Last month, the district launched a ThoughtExchange to gain insight from the community about the 2021 - 2022 school budget. Thank you to all who participated and provided input.

The district will now be LIVE streaming many of our athletic competitions via the BCSD Athletics YouTube page. Any student, staff, family or community member can log on for free to view our Patriots compete.

Congratulations to Binghamton High School senior Malik Griffith, the winner of this year’s Patriot Scholarship!

The COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact our community, and our school community is no exception. We are mourning the tremendous loss of our friend and colleague, Traci Simrell who died in December.

The winter edition of BToday has been released online. This issue will be digital only and features stories and photos from the start of the school year.

Tune in to Facebook on Thursday at 7 p.m. to watch the Binghamton High School Sounds for the Season Holiday Concert!

In advance of the inclement weather, here is some important information that was distributed to families in November about snow days and the strategic decision to close or delay school.

This year, more than any year prior, the Binghamton City School District needs to hear from our stakeholders in regards to the upcoming school budget.

This year due to COVID-19 the annual Binghamton High School Community Dinner will look a little different. This year 500 meals will be distributed for carry out only. Meals will be available for pick up on Nov. 26 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The New York State School Boards Association recognizes October 19 - 23 as School Board Recognition Week. This is a time to promote awareness and understanding of the important work performed by school board members.

We welcome back Dawne Anna Adams to the Binghamton City School District. Adams is the new BCSD director of personnel.

Dear Binghamton families, I hope you’ve had a restful and enjoyable summer break, filled with plenty of opportunities for rejuvenation and quality time with those you love most. As we bid farewell to summer, we welcome the new school year with eagerness and enthusiasm.

She lightheartedly calls herself “the gray-haired witch”, but anyone who’s ever met Joyce DeRitis knows that describing her as a witch couldn’t be farther from the truth.