NYS School Boards Assn. Seeks Relief from Sandy
The New York State School Boards Assn. has asked the state legislature to consider various proposals designed to provide school districts with relief from state requirements as a result of Hurricane Sandy.
"Right now, many of those communities hit hardest by Sandy are dealing with the loss of basic necessities, including food, power, fuel and shelter," NYSSBA Executive Director Timothy G. Kremer said. "But as life slowly begins to return to normal, schools will be facing a slew of issues as they sort through legal requirements."
About 360 districts closed one or more of their schools for at least one day as a result of Hurricane Sandy. Many Long Island districts were closed for a week or more.
The NYSSBA is asking state officials to consider exempting school districts from the 180-day attendance requirement to receive a full allotment of state aid. While the commissioner of education has the authority to waive up to five days, many districts will exceed those five days
The NYSSBA is also seeking a waiver of voter approval requirements for capital expenditures related to storm damage and easing restrictions on borrowing (such as the 45-day public notice period and public hearing requirements) in extraordinary circumstances.
The organization has also requested an easing of restrictions for tapping into dedicated reserve funds, including capital reserve funds, repair reserve funds, employee benefit accrued liability reserve funds, and tax reduction reserve funds to pay unexpected costs associated with Hurricane Sandy.
The NYSSBA is also asking the state legislature to consider the addition of a new exemption to the property tax cap for expenses, other than capital expenditures (which are already exempted), that are incurred by a district as a result of a federally declared natural disaster or a state disaster emergency.
"If we continue to experience catastrophic storms like Sandy, Irene and Lee, we should adapt our state laws so that schools can respond appropriately in the aftermath," Mr. Kremer said.