Senator Kenneth P. LaValle is exploring his legal options to support a lawsuit filed by Assemblyman Marc Alessi, which would recoup $4 million in state aid for the Shoreham-Wading River School District. The suit filed against the State of New York claims that the state violated the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) Education Fund requirement to restore state aid to 2008-09 levels. The Shoreham-Wading River School District faces a 26 percent tax increase if they do not receive their full share of stimulus funding.
According to Senator LaValle, the Shoreham-Wading River School district is entitled to the distribution of a prior year state aid claim of $35 million, for which he fought to secure. The prior year claim is the result of an error made when the State Education Department incorrectly used the Shoreham Nuclear Power Plant to calculate state aid. When applying federal stimulus dollars to restore the Shoreham-Wading River District to its 2008 education aid level, the state failed to recognize that the district’s expected prior year adjustment was reduced by $4 million due to budget cuts. The full restoration of the prior year state adjustment is required to fully restore the district to its actual 2008 state funding level and protect the taxpayers from shouldering the burden of the State Education Department error.
“The residents of the Shoreham-Wading River community will be forced to bear a severe tax burden if they do not receive the full amount of state aid, which should rightfully include the expected prior year adjustment,” said Senator LaValle. “The state education department has recognized the district is entitled to this funding and I will explore my legal options to support the restoration of state funding to the Shoreham-Wading River District.”
