STATE SENATE PASSES BILL THAT WOULD GRANT PENALTY RELIEF TO THE NORTH SYRACUSE CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT

Senator John A. DeFrancisco (R-I-C, Syracuse) today announced that his Bill (S.8763), which would grant penalty relief for the North Syracuse Central School District, passed the State Senate.

The North Syracuse Central School District has been assessed millions of dollars in penalties for not filing final cost reports on certain projects in the appropriate amount of time, dating from 1996 to 2010. Due to these clerical errors, 
the state has been seeking to recover about $20 million in penalties and assessments. Failure to forgive these filing errors would create an impossible burden on the North Syracuse Central School District. 

This legislation, if passed by the State Assembly and signed by the Governor, would eliminate this unconscionable set of penalties and assessments.

Senator DeFrancisco said, "The amount of penalties that have been accumulating in this matter are simply outrageous and not reasonable. This bill would save the school district approximately $2,000,000 a year for the next ten years. 
This is money that the school district could not possibly raise, which could result in an inability for the district to continue providing a quality education to their students.”

The bill has been sent to the State Assembly to await action by that body.

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