Ribbon Cut on $212, 000 Worth of Renovations for Eleanor Roosevelt High School Library & Resource Center

Upper East Side, NY- Today, parents, school administrators and students were present as Council Member Ben Kallos and Congress Member Carolyn B. Maloney cut the ribbon at Eleanor Roosevelt High School, marking the completion of renovations to the school’s Library & Resource Center. The renovations and upgrades are a result of $212,000 in funding provided by Kallos out of his discretionary budget.

The upgrades and renovations include LED lighting, new flooring and technology, and even new podcasting equipment.

Since elected into office, Council Member Kallos has allocated over $549,580 to Eleanor Roosevelt High School to improve everything from technology to infrastructure within the school.

“High school libraries should be modern and welcoming places where students are comfortable and it is easy to learn,” said Council Member Ben Kallos. “Funding education initiatives has been a priority of mine since I got into office. I am proud to have allocated these funds because I know they will have a positive impact on the students that attend Eleanor Roosevelt High School.”  

Eleanor Roosevelt High School, which, opened in September of 2002 is located at 411 East 76th Street. The school is part of New York City Public School District #2 and currently has over five hundred students and over forty staff members. Congress Member Carolyn Maloney was instrumental in getting the school started along when she led a grassroots effort to secure location and funding.

“As we come together to celebrate the ribbon cutting for the newly renovated Eleanor Roosevelt High School library, I can’t help but remember the day we cut the ribbon to open this school. I was proud of my work to create a new school on the East Side, and I commend Council Member Ben Kallos for his work to allocate the funding this school needs to remain a beacon for academically rigorous public education,” said Congresswoman Carolyn B. Maloney (NY-12).

“This new and improved library will benefit generations of students at Eleanor Roosevelt High School for years to come,” School Construction Authority President and CEO Lorraine Grillo said. “On behalf of our entire SCA team, I’d like to thank Council Member Kallos for providing the funds that allowed us to provide students with another tool to enhance their learning, foster their imagination and expand their growth potential.”

“We celebrate these incredible renovations with the community of Eleanor Roosevelt High School and thank Council Member Ben Kallos for making these upgrades possible and for his ongoing support of New York City schools,” said CSA President Mark Cannizzaro. “We’d also like to once again acknowledge Congress Member Maloney’s tremendous efforts to secure funding and resources for the school when it was first opened in September of 2002. Libraries and resource centers continue to serve a critical role in providing a high-quality education to our city’s high school students, and these further investments will no doubt be well-utilized under the leadership of Principal Dimitri Saliani, his administration and staff.”

“We are delighted with these upgrades. Our students will have the opportunity to create their own podcasts as part of these library improvements, which is another proven way to engage them in their own learning and to help them discover their own voice,” said Janella Hinds, Vice President of Academic High Schools at the United Federation of Teachers

"I commend Councilman Ben Kallos for his dedication to the school children of his community. He understands that’s our students need a place that will allow them to grow and be our future leaders “said Shaun D. Francois I President, Local 372.