On March 23 of 2026 State representative Manny De Los Santos and US Congressman Adriano Espaillat visited the George Washington Educational Campus. Both politicians gave a speech and together presented a check for $850,000. The money they provided will help fund a complete restoration of the main campus auditorium.
Federal and State Support
The funding to restore the auditorium was provided in large part by US Congressman Adriano Espaillat. When asked about his goal for the funding, the Congressman replied in his first language of Spanish. “Bueno, este auditorio es muy importante para la comunidad, no solo para la escuela y para los estudiantes, sino para la comunidad completa. Y aquí hay un cupo de 1500 asientos y yo creo que este auditorio debe ser de primera clase, por eso aportamos casi un millón de dólares.” (Well, this auditorium is very important to the community not only to the school and the students, but to the entire community. It has a seating capacity of 1,500, and I believe this auditorium should be first-class; that is why we contributed nearly one million dollars.) The congressman’s comments reveal his dedication to the school’s well being. An expensive project like this would only be possible with government support.
State representative (and George Washington high school alumni) Manny De Los Santos also offered his full support to the restoration of the auditorium. “It’s exciting. I’m already committed. I told all the principals we’re already committing to that pledge of $850,000 toward the renovation of this auditorium and more to come.” Representative Dos Los Santos is a New York State Assembly member whose goal is the broader improvement of Washington Heights. He has stated that our schools have made excellent progress and he wishes to allow that improvement to continue with his help.
Local Perspectives
Twelfth grader Dayami Lopez attended the ceremony and expressed her gratitude for the project. “I certainly understand that it is important, as it gives us the opportunity to have a better learning environment…[Congressman Espaillat] is making our lives better by donating $850,000 to our school and our education is the most important thing to him in his career as a congressman.” Students who attend concerts, assemblies and graduation ceremonies for generations to come will enjoy this new space.
TCA Assistant Principal Karen Remer was instrumental in writing the grant. “There are certain things in the auditorium that really don’t work. The lighting system is very bad, the seats are very uncomfortable, and the curtains are ripped. You’d be shocked how much those curtains cost,” Remer told TCA Heights. “So we wrote a grant. …the grant went to Congressman Espaillat. And we got very lucky that he wanted to help us out.” AP Remer’s efforts were the starting point that will ultimately help the entire campus to enjoy a renovated auditorium.
TCA Heights will continue reporting as the project becomes fully funded and renovations begin.
Maisha Cadet Duval • Mar 30, 2026 at 1:28 pm
Amazing story! Kudos to Jayden Rodriguez, Monica Palacios, and Esbraylin Cuevas! Stories like this highlight how much can be accomplished when school stakeholders and politicians take ownership of their environment and advocate for meaningful change.