What's happening
This bill allows school districts to raise tax levies to cover tuition payments for general and special education students residing in their district.
Why it matters
Allows districts facing high tuition costs for resident students (including those with special needs) to raise local taxes beyond the usual cap, potentially preventing program cuts or budget shortfalls.
May create more predictable funding for districts that must pay tuition to other districts or schools, especially those with a high outflow of students or special education placements.
Could shift more of the financial burden for tuition costs to local taxpayers, affecting property tax bills and possibly increasing disparities between wealthier and poorer districts.
Signals state recognition of tuition payments as a distinct, sometimes unpredictable expense for school districts, possibly setting precedent for similar carve-outs in state tax cap laws.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Fund Tuition for Local Students
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Print number 2979a
- Amend and recommit to education
- Referred to education
- Referred to education
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Let Schools Cover Tuition Costs
In Assembly Committee · Education · Sponsor Fred Thiele
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
S. 2979--A A. 2340--A
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
SENATE - ASSEMBLY
January 18, 2017
IN SENATE -- Introduced by Sen. LAVALLE -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Education -recommitted to the Committee on Education in accordance with Senate Rule 6, sec. 8 -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
IN ASSEMBLY -- Introduced by M. of A. THIELE, MONTESANO -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. SKARTADOS -- read once and referred to the Committee on Education -- recommitted to the Committee on Education in accordance with Assembly Rule 3, sec. 2 -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to certain tuition payments by school districts for general education and special students residing in such school districts
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subparagraphs (iii) and (iv) of paragraph i of subdivision 2 of section 2023-a of the education law, as added by section 2 of part A of chapter 97 of the laws of 2011, are amended and a new paragraph (v) is added to read as follows:
(iii) in years in which the normal contribution rate of the New York state teachers' retirement system, as defined by paragraph a of subdivision two of section five hundred seventeen of this chapter, increases by more than two percentage points from the previous year, a tax levy necessary for expenditures for the coming fiscal year for school district employer contributions to the New York state teachers' retirement system caused by growth in the normal contribution rate minus two percentage points; [and]
(iv) a capital tax levy[.]; and
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD07163-02-8
S. 2979--A 2 A. 2340--A
(v) a tax levy necessary for expenditures for the coming fiscal school year for a school district which makes payments to one or more school districts to pay for tuition for general education and special students residing in such school district.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately and shall first apply to school district budgets and the budget adoption process for the 2018-2019 school year; and shall continue to apply to school district budgets and the budget adoption process for any school year beginning in any calendar year during which this act is in effect; provided, however, that the amendments to section 2023-a of the education law made by section one of this act shall not affect the repeal of such section and shall be deemed repealed therewith.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the education law, in relation to certain tuition payments by school districts for general education and special students residing in such school districts
Purpose
Relates to certain tuition payments by school districts for general education and special students residing in such school districts.
Summary of provisions
Sub-paragraphs (iii) and (iv) of paragraph i of subdivision 2 of Section 2023-a of the Education Law, as added by Section 2 of part A of Chapter 97 of the Laws of 2011, are amended and a new paragraph (v) is added to exclude from the tax levy limit a tax levy necessary for expenditures for the coming fiscal school year for a school district with makes payments to one or more school districts to pay for tuition for general education and special students residing in such school district.
Justification
Many school districts without a middle school and/or high school pay tuition for their secondary students to attend another school district. As a result of annual fluctuations in enrollment in general education and special education tuition students and because the rates are computed by the State Education Department's Seneca Falls formula, the budgetary increases that many of these school districts are incurring in just tuition payments alone are placing them significantly over the current allowable tax levy limit. This legislation is necessary to exclude from the tax levy limit a tax levy necessary to support expendi- tures for the coming fiscal school year for a school district that makes payments one or more school districts to pay for tuition for general education and special students residing in such school district. Similar to the exemption for pension costs, school districts have no direct control over these costs.
Legislative history
2015-16 S.2361A/A.3113A; 2013-2014 S.4002A/A.5584A; 2012 S.6545/A.9365.
Fiscal implications
To be determined.
Effective date
This act shall take effect immediately and shall first apply to school district budgets and the budget adoption process for the 2018-19 school year; and shall continue to apply to school district budgets and the budget adoption process for any school year beginning in any calendar year during which this act is in effect; provided, however, that the amendments to Section 2023-a of the Education Law made by Section 1 of this act shall not affect the repeal of such section and shall be deemed repealed therewith.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.