What’s that old adage again — the 15th time is a charm?

It surely feels that way for Panama Central School and its $4.9 million fine from the state Education Department. After what seems like a decade of being told no by governors, the local school district has finally seen the fine wiped clean.

Bert Lictus, retiring Panama Central School superintendent, said $1,117,883 of the $4.9 million penalty has been forgiven. Of the remaining penalty, $782,117 in state aid was withheld from the school district. The school was aided in the process through efforts by former state Sen. Cathy Young, who delivered $3,000,000 in bullet aid.

“That’s a lot of money that could have been used for programs here in Panama. That was an expense that we had that no other school had … there’s only so much money to be had. If I’m spending $80,000 a year having my aid taken away, that’s a teaching position, or a counselor, or a social worker, or a resource officer or after school tutoring or a bus run. There are all sorts of ways you can look at it. But it certainly didn’t benefit the district at all — it was a burden.”

It’s about time a New York governor saw the stupidity of fining school districts for a clerical error. It certainly shouldn’t have taken a decade for former Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Gov. Kathy Hochul to realize the lunacy of this situation.

Let this be a teachable moment to students across the state. Even adults can learn from their mistakes — eventually.