SENATOR DEFRANCISCO’S BILL GRANTING PENALTY RELIEF TO THE NORTH SYRACUSE CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT IS SIGNED INTO LAW

John A. DeFrancisco

August 17, 2018

State Senator John A. DeFrancisco today announced that Governor Cuomo has signed his Bill (S.8763) into law that will grant penalty relief to the North Syracuse Central School District. 


The North Syracuse Central School District was 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 had been seeking to recover approximately $20 million in penalties and assessments. Failure to forgive these filing errors could have created an impossible burden on the North Syracuse Central School District. This new law will eliminate this unconscionable set of penalties and assessments, for ministerial oversights. 


Senator DeFrancisco said, "I am very pleased that my bill was signed into law since the amount of penalties in this matter were simply outrageous and not reasonable. This measure will help save the school district approximately $2,000,000 a year for the next ten years, and allow the district to continue to provide a quality education to its students.”


The law will take effect immediately.