Students helped cut the ribbon Feb. 24 for the new renovations at Bingham Farms Elementary School.
By: Mary Genson | Birmingham-Bloomfield Eagle | Published March 9, 2026
BIRMINGHAM — A student collaboration space and cosmetic upgrades are among the newest additions to Bingham Farms Elementary School. The Birmingham Public Schools elementary school was originally built in 1968, and a new, 10,000-square-foot addition was completed December 2025.
Included in the $8.5 million construction project are six new classrooms; interior cosmetic upgrades such as paint, flooring, tile and light fixtures; and new kitchen equipment and plumbing fixtures. This project was made possible by the district’s 2020 bond.
“There’s a large collaboration space, and that collaboration space has flexible seating, state-of-the-art boards and just allows students to really be able to connect and collaborate, both as individual classes and also with other classes,” Superintendent Embekka Roberson said.
Roberson said that in addition to the core curriculum, the school focuses on building essential skills for students that will help them in elementary school and as they start to prepare for their future careers: “public speaking, being able to elaborate on a point, being able to connect and also listen to someone speaking and being able to think critically about what is being shared,” she said.
Bingham Farms Principal Joanna McKinney said in a press release that “it’s more than just the walls. It’s a new environment that was created to make a space where children are comfortable and they can grow and succeed. We are so grateful that our community had a chance to see how much their support for Birmingham Public Schools matters.”
The school also upgraded safety features by adding new security cameras, fire suppression equipment and three secure exterior emergency access doors.
At the ribbon cutting Feb. 24, Roberson said she witnessed the community’s excitement for the new space.
“They were all so excited to see the space. Just in general, it’s the windows, the natural light, the flexible seating with the bright colors. It just seemed as a space that really brought joy to the people who were able to walk through it.” She added that the students were “thrilled to have a space where multiple classes can come together and learn together.”