A Central New York school is waiting for renovations to its building. The New York State Education Department has set aside much of the funding needed to make those changes at Onondaga Nation School, but that work takes time.

Onondaga Nation School is one of three indigenous schools run by New York state. Onondaga Nation School was built in the 1930s, and it's been about 30 years since the building has had a major renovation. While recent changes have been made, officials say there's still a lot left to do.

Locking doors and a security desk are essentials that Onondaga Nation School didn’t have earlier this year, leaving the building vulnerable. Those repairs have since been made.

“So that is one of the challenges that we do face is, state projects tend to move at a different pace than other school construction projects. And certainly, that can cause a sense of frustration both for the school district, and for our staff, and for our students here at the facility when they are having to wait sometimes ten or more years for improvements to be made,” said Jeremy Belfield, the superintendent of Lafayette School District.

What You Need To Know

  • Dollars have been allocated by the New York State Education Department to improve the more-than 90-year-old Onondaga Nation School

  • The list of areas to be fixed include the kitchen, roof, windows and more

  • School officials are hoping to get around $45 million to redo the gymnasium

Belfield said $854,000 has been allocated from the state to improve the kitchen, a renovation which is currently being designed.

“We have amazing, hard-working people that feed our kids every single day. And we want to make sure that they have a great functional space that's up to date to help feed our kids,” said Belfield.

From that kitchen, about 100 meals a day are served. Belfield says the stove and coolers need replacing, and compressors meant to be outside are currently inside, making the kitchen a much hotter working environment.

“Depending on which section, there's the original portion from the 1930s, and then an addition in the 1950s. So, the roof is anywhere between 75 to 100 years old,” said Belfield.

He said in the last budget cycle, the state set aside $11 million for improvements like a new roof, air conditioning, back parking lot and windows.

“A lot of them [windows] are challenging to open snd, in some cases, are 30 to 50 years old,” said Belfield.

Small spaces are another challenge for Belfield.

“Certainly, we'd love to have more space. So that way, our students that are receiving either academic intervention services, special education services have suitable learning spaces where they have plenty of room,” said Belfield.

Yet to be approved is funding for a new, larger gym.

“Beautiful design, but again, just a little tight on space, especially for our junior high athletes. And some of the top volleyball athletes, lacrosse athletes in the world come from the Onondaga Nation. Everybody's familiar with the Thompson brothers. They lived in this community, graduated from Lafayette. I think a lot of our top athletes in the world are deserving of world-class gymnasium and sports facilities,” said Belfield.

The plan is to convert the existing gym to a different functional space. Approximately $45 million has been requested from the state education department in the upcoming budget cycle to make some of those additional repairs and changes.

This funding comes after a press conference held 3 years ago by the Onondaga Nation, Tuscarora Nation and Saint Regis Mohawk schools. The groups asked for more money to upkeep their buildings.