[Congressional Record Volume 152, Number 125 (Friday, September 29, 2006)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1972-E1973]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              TRIBUTE TO THE REECE SCHOOL OF NEW YORK CITY

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. CAROLYN B. MALONEY

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                       Friday, September 29, 2006

  Mrs. MALONEY. Mr. Speaker, I rise to pay tribute to the Reece School 
of New York City, which has been dedicated for 58 years to serving 
children who are intellectually capable but emotionally fragile and 
vulnerable. The oldest such special-education school in Manhattan, the 
Reece School has grown in size and stature from its founder's home to a 
new facility on the Upper East Side. On October 26, it will recognize a 
significant donation by officially naming its state-of-the-art 
building.
  The Reece School was established in 1948, in the home of Ellen Reece, 
as a response to the needs of children who were incapable of 
functioning in a traditional school setting. Today, it serves 90 
students, from Manhattan and all 5 boroughs, who reflect the diverse 
communities of the City of New York. They represent middle- and lower-
income families who care deeply about their children's future but lack 
the ability to pay privately for services beyond those offered by the 
school community. These families depend on Reece for the intellectual 
and emotional support that allows their children to progress and 
function as independently as possible, They rely on Reece for services 
that many other special-education schools are unable to provide.
  Over the years, the Reece School has grown out of Ellen Reece's home, 
out of its longtime Carnegie Hill location, and into a new home at 25 
East 104th Street. For years, it has worked hard to be an integral part 
of its community. It has made its space available to several community 
groups, and has partnered with several community agencies and public 
schools to help improve the quality of life of Reece students and, in 
fact, of all children in the community.

[[Page E1973]]

  Thanks to a $12 million loan through Industrial Development Agency 
Bonds, Reece was able to emerge from its somewhat-cramped Carnegie Hill 
quarters and into a facility of unprecedented size and technology in 
July 2006. On October 26, the Reece School will officially name its new 
building the Elise M. Besthoff Building of the Reece School.
  Mr. Speaker, I ask that my distinguished colleagues join me in 
recognizing the outstanding contributions to the children and families 
of New York City made by the Reece School.

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