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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.