Galef's Bill for State Aid to Hendrick Hudson Schools Passed

(November 8, 2018) – Assemblywoman Sandy Galef announced that legislation she sponsored (A.10753/S.7054) was signed into law by Governor Cuomo on Monday, November 5th. This legislation provides $1.4 million in state aid for crucial capital improvement projects for the Hendrick Hudson Central School District. These projects include vital and positive upgrades to all five schools in the district.

The capital projects were originally deemed ineligible for state aid in 2017 due to a filing error. The Governor vetoed Galef’s bill for state funds to the school district because the district was late in submitting its final cost reports, a requirement to be eligible for state aid. Without this aid, these capital projects would have placed an additional, unanticipated tax burden on the district taxpayers.

Assemblywoman Galef reintroduced her request for funding in 2018 through bill A.10753/S.7054. This bill forgives the penalty eliminating state aid, and allows the State Department of Education to treat the delayed filings as valid, solidifying State aid for a number of contracts related to these two capital payments.

In signing Galef’s bill into law, the Governor acknowledges the financial impact that Indian Point’s planned shutdown in 2021 will have on the community. Currently, the School District receives approximately 30 percent of its annual revenues from the plant. Without state aid, the School District would have been denied capital development funding while simultaneously preparing for a loss in revenue from the power plant. Because of these extenuating circumstances, the Governor signed the reintroduced bill, vowing to work with local leaders and State Assembly and Senate representatives to meet the needs of the community.

Assemblywoman Sandy Galef said, “I am thrilled that the Governor signed our reintroduced bill after his veto in 2017, and am so happy to announce that the Hendrick Hudson School District will finally be receiving this much needed funding. As we work through the details of how Indian Point’s closure will affect the economic wellbeing of the community, it is vital that the state do what it can to alleviate economic burden on taxpayers, while also providing all the resources we can for students of the district to receive a high-quality education.”

Galef’s bill A.10753 was carried in the Senate by Senator Terrance Murphy. The bill was signed into law, chapter 336, and will take effect immediately.