SENATE WILL MOVE TO PROTECT "BUILDING AID" FOR LOCAL DISTRICTS

Rejects "Priority-Based" Aid Plan That Threatens Hundreds of Local Projects

Friday, March 9, 2001

Senate Majority Leader Joseph L. Bruno and Education Committee Chairman John R. Kuhl Jr. today announced that the Senate will reject a budget proposal that could delay or derail important school district renovation and new construction projects.

The proposal included in the Executive Budget would give the Education Commissioner broad new power to pick and choose between competing construction projects for safety improvements, increased capacity to meet growing school needs and other purposes to determine which are eligible for state "building aid" reimbursement.

The priority-based selection proposal was to apply to building projects approved by the state Education Department after January 15, 2001. Projects approved prior to that date are automatically eligible for state reimbursement if they meet existing statutory criteria. Hundreds of district building plans across the state still awaiting approval -- such as classroom additions, upgraded plumbing and heat systems, new roofs and stairs, and asbestos removal -- would have been affected by the proposal.

"State building aid helps local communities afford the types of quality facilities that are both safe and conducive to a good education for our students. That is why the Senate Majority has led the fight to preserve building aid in past budgets," said Senator Bruno (R-C, Brunswick). "We are taking this action now even before a final budget plan is in place to end uncertainty on the part of school district administrators and lenders over whether their projects will be eligible for state reimbursement."

"School administrators rely on state building aid to bridge the gap between a districts' critical construction needs and their community's ability to pay for them," said Senator Kuhl (R-C, Hammondsport). "By delaying decisions on which projects to begin while they await final action on the Governor's proposed changes, districts could lose out on part of the building season, meaning extra inconvenience and potentially higher costs."

According to the State Education Department, 185 projects worth about $303 million have been approved since Jan. 15 and would be affected by the proposed change. In addition, school districts have identified nearly 5,000 other projects in virtually every school district in the state that could also be affected.

The Executive Budget calls for a $170 million increase for school building aid. The Senate's action, which will be reflected in its budget resolution expected to be approved later this month, does not affect that level of funding in the coming year's budget.

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