The top reported proficiency rate is 87% in Social studies. The lowest is 17% in Science.
Original Research by School Decision on Theodore Roosevelt School
Theodore Roosevelt School is a small public elementary school serving prekindergarten through fifth grade in Binghamton, a mid-sized city in the Southern Tier region of New York. The school sits on the North Side of the city, a neighborhood that has been the focus of recent revitalization efforts and is currently at the center of a significant district investment: in December 2024 voters approved a major capital project to rebuild Theodore Roosevelt, including a new classroom wing and extensive remediation, with construction set to begin in fall 2026. The project is funded through capital reserves, bonding, and state aid at no cost to the tax levy.
The school's student body is diverse and economically disadvantaged. A substantial majority of students qualify for free or reduced-price lunch, reflecting the broader economic conditions in the North Side neighborhood and city. The enrollment is fairly evenly distributed across the grade bands, with all grades represented from pre-K through fifth. Racially and ethnically, the student body is roughly split between Black, white, and multiracial students, with a smaller Hispanic population and a small Asian enrollment.
Academic proficiency at Theodore Roosevelt is low across all tested subjects and grade levels. In English language arts, proficiency ranges from around one-fifth of third graders to about one-quarter of fifth graders meeting state standards. Mathematics proficiency is similarly challenged, with third and fifth grade students showing particularly low results and fourth grade faring only somewhat better. Science proficiency in fifth grade is also in the low to mid-range. Participation rates in testing are generally good, suggesting that low proficiency is not a measurement artifact. These results place the school in the bottom quartile among the county's districts on overall proficiency, a serious gap that a parent should discuss directly with school leadership to understand what supports and interventions are in place, what the school's improvement trajectory looks like, and how individual student needs are being addressed.
The district is actively engaged in reimagining its elementary schools. Along with the Theodore Roosevelt rebuild, the district has developed new attendance boundaries for six elementary schools that will take effect for the 2028-29 school year, so families across Binghamton's elementary schools may see their attendance assignment shift. During construction at Roosevelt, students will temporarily relocate to other buildings. For families considering Theodore Roosevelt, understanding the timeline of the construction disruption and the longer-term consolidation plan will be important to your decision and to planning ahead for your child's continuity.
The housing market in the Binghamton area is relatively affordable compared to state and national benchmarks, with median home values well below the state figure, making homeownership accessible to families at a range of income levels. Rental housing is similarly affordable. The local economy is anchored by Binghamton University, major employers in healthcare (United Health Services, Guthrie), advanced manufacturing (Lockheed Martin, BAE Systems), and SUNY Broome, creating a mixed employment base. Downtown Binghamton is undergoing visible revitalization centered on historic brick buildings, student housing, and arts and cultural activity, and the city has been selected for state funding to support further downtown and neighborhood housing development. Public transit is available through Broome County Transit, the regional bus system.
Theodore Roosevelt offers a traditional public elementary program with no specialized academic pathway or magnet focus. The school serves its immediate neighborhood and will continue to do so, albeit under new boundary lines starting in 2028-29. For a family prioritizing strong academic performance and high proficiency outcomes, the current data shows this is not the right fit. For a family committed to the North Side neighborhood, seeking affordable housing in a revitalizing area, or willing to work closely with the school and district on intensive academic support, the school's pending rebuild and the district's broader reorganization signal meaningful investment and a moment of transition worth exploring directly with school and district staff.
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