What's happening
This bill allows certain high-need school districts facing capacity shortages to receive additional building aid for approved construction projects.
Why it matters
Targets high-need districts facing significant overcrowding. , specifically those where student numbers exceed building capacity by at least 10%. This means state aid is focused on districts with the most critical space shortages, potentially reducing class sizes and improving learning environments.
Applies only to certain large counties. (population between 940,000 and 1 million), ensuring that the funding is directed to densely populated areas where school overcrowding is often most acute and where local tax bases may struggle to keep up with rapid enrollment increases.
Allows eligible districts to access a more favorable aid formula. ("high-need secondary supplemental building aid ratio"), potentially increasing the state’s share of funding for new construction or expansion. This could make it easier for these districts to afford major building projects without overburdening local taxpayers.
Includes both voter-approved and board-approved projects. (in cities over 125,000 people), increasing flexibility for districts to respond to urgent capacity needs, even in large urban school systems where referendums may not be practical.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Boost School Construction Aid
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- 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.
Increase School Building Aid
In Assembly Committee · Education · Sponsor Nader Sayegh
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
2973
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 31, 2019
Introduced by Sen. BIAGGI -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Education
AN ACT to amend the education law, in relation to the apportionment of moneys for capital outlays and debt service for school building purposes
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subparagraph 2 of paragraph c of subdivision 6 of section 3602 of the education law is amended by adding a new clause (d) to read as follows:
(d) For aid payable in the school years two thousand nineteen--two thousand twenty and thereafter for school building projects to remedy capacity shortages of high-need school districts, as defined pursuant to regulations of the commissioner in clause (c) of this subparagraph and are located in a county with a population of more than nine hundred forty thousand and less than one million inhabitants according to the two thousand ten federal census, as approved by the voters of such school district or by such board of education of a city school district in a city with more than one hundred twenty-five thousand inhabitants, on or after July first, two thousand seventeen, may compute aid under the provisions of this subdivision using the high-need secondary supplemental building aid ratio, which shall be the lesser of: (A) the product, computed to three decimals without rounding, of the greater of the building aid ratios computed pursuant to subclauses (i), (ii) and (iii) of clause (b) of this subparagraph multiplied by ten percent; or (B) the positive remainder of ninety-eight one-hundredths less the greater of the building aid ratios computed pursuant to subclauses (i), (ii) and (iii) of clause (b) of this subparagraph. School building projects eligible for aid pursuant to this clause shall include projects to address capacity shortages of at least ten percent of the calculated capacity of the district or at least ten percent of the calculated capacity of elementary or secondary schools of the district, as determined by the commissioner.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD09041-01-9
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 the apportionment of moneys for capital outlays and debt service for school building purposes
Purpose or general idea of bill
This legislation will amend the education law to allow certain high need districts to receive an additional supplemental building aid ratio for projects addressing capacity shortages.
Summary of provisions
Section 1 Subparagraph 2 of paragraph c of subdivision 6 of section 3602 of education law is amended by adding a new clause (d) which will allow that for school years 2017-18 and thereafter, school building projects designed to address capacity shortages of high-need school districts, as defined pursuant to regulations of the commissioner in clause (c) of this subparagraph and are in a designated county.
Difference between original and amended version (if applicable)
This is a new bill.
Justification
More than 10 years ago, New York State recognized that high need school districts were struggling to support necessary school capital projects and permitted these districts to access an additional Building Aid reimbursement. Since such time, high need school districts in Westches- ter County have been confronted with both escalating local construction costs and significant student enrollment growth contributing to their limited ability to address capacity shortages for their current and future projections of increased student enrollment. This bill recognizes the pressing need for these districts to expand classroom space by help- ing to offset the local fiscal impact of facility projects designed to relive overcrowding where the shortages are ten percent or greater of the identified need as determined by the State Education Department.
Prior legislative history
2017-18: S6370- Referred to education
Fiscal implications for state and local governments
This will reduce costs for local school districts and the cost to the State is to be determined.
Effective date
This act shall take effect immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.