ILION, NY – As expected, the former Remington Elementary School officially has a new owner.

In a brief ceremony Tuesday, Herkimer-Fulton-Hamilton-Otsego BOCES officials completed the purchase of the building from the Central Valley School District for one dollar, along with $320 in closing costs.

Residents of the Central Valley School District and the various BOCES component districts overwhelmingly voted in favor of the sale this past fall.

“Finalizing this purchase that benefits students across the Herkimer BOCES region – including many Central Valley students – is something truly worth celebrating during this unprecedented year in education,” said Herkimer BOCES District Superintendent Sandra Sherwood. “We are very grateful for the strong public support reflected in the vote results. This purchase will stabilize a variety of regional programs from our 7th – 12th grade alternative education program to our adult literacy and adult LPN programs.”

“Today is the end of a long journey,” Central Valley Superintendent Jeremy Rich said. “We shared Herkimer BOCES’ desire for a centrally located space where our region’s students and adult learners could access needed programs. We had recently renovated Remington and it was in great shape, but we didn’t need five buildings. It is a perfect fit.”

Herkimer BOCES has been leasing the building from Central Velley since 2013. More than 200 schoolchildren and 250 adults attended programs in the building in the 2019-20 school year.