Rocky Point Gets $2.4 Million in Construction Aid Restored

Through the 2012-13 New York State budget legislation, the Rocky Point School District will be reimbursed $2.4M in construction aid for which the district had previously been deemed ineligible .

Superintendent Michael Ring said that the District is grateful to our state representatives, who have worked for several years to restore this lost aid. He pointed out the significant efforts of Sen. Kenneth LaValle, who personally sponsored three separate bills to restore the aid, in addition to insisting on inclusion of restoration of aid legislation in the just passed State budget.

“The Rocky Point School District is extremely grateful for Senator LaValle’s extraordinary efforts, without which it is certain these funds would not be restored,” Ring said. “The Senator and his office staff have dedicated significant time and effort on behalf of the citizens of the Rocky Point community in order to bring back this aid to the District.”        

The district also thanked New York State Assemblyman Dan Losquadro for sponsoring legislation in the Assembly to restore the aid in support of taxpayers in Rocky Point.

In 1999, voters approved a capital projects bond totaling $28.5M to fund the construction of , as well as numerous additional capital projects affecting buildings throughout the District.

Most of the District’s approved bond was deemed eligible for building aid when submitted to the Education Commissioner for original project authorization. In order for the District to receive the building aid, documentation was to be submitted to the State in accordance with statutory deadlines.

Ring explained that under a previous Board of Education and administration, errors in interpretation of deadline requirements and a transition of responsibilities led to the late filing of some required reports with the State. As a result, four of the capital projects that were filed late were denied eligibility for building aid.