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S 1469

Excludes the value of state forest preserve lands in the Adirondack and Catskill parks from use in the determination of state aid to school districts

2025 Regular Session Introduced by Dan Stec

Excludes the value of state forest preserve lands in the Adirondack and Catskill parks from property-wealth calculations, boosting state aid for affected districts.

REFERRED TO EDUCATION
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Bill Summary · S 1469

Bill Summary — S.1469

Note on source material and inconsistencies
- The metadata you provided lists S.1469 with the title “Excludes the value of state forest preserve lands in the Adirondack and Catskill parks from use in the determination of state aid to school districts.” However, the version content includes multiple unrelated bill texts (a New Jersey school-bus safety amendment and a Massachusetts amendment to special education reserve funds), and the legislative actions, sponsors, and related-bill lists appear inconsistent across jurisdictions. Below is a focused summary based on the stated title (Adirondack/Catskill forest preserve exclusion), followed by brief notes on the other texts mistakenly included in the packet. Please confirm the correct jurisdiction and provide the official bill text for a definitive analysis.

Primary purpose (as titled)

To amend the legal formula for state school aid by excluding the assessed/value of state forest preserve lands located in the Adirondack and Catskill parks from the property-value calculations used to determine a school district’s wealth and thus its state aid entitlement.

Key provisions (expected based on title)

  • Exclude the value (assessed value or equalized value) of state-owned forest preserve lands within the Adirondack and Catskill park boundaries from the property valuation base used in the state’s school aid formula.
  • Apply the exclusion to all school districts that are wholly or partly located within the Adirondack or Catskill park boundaries.
  • Amend statutory language that defines taxable property or local wealth measures for state education aid distribution to reflect this carved-out treatment.

(Exact statutory sections and precise technical changes are not provided in the packet; the above reflects the typical mechanics of such exclusions.)

Who would be affected

  • Primary: school districts located wholly or partly in the Adirondack and Catskill parks (towns/municipalities that contain state forest preserve lands).
  • Secondary: state education finance system and the state budget — excluding large tracts of state-owned non-taxable lands typically lowers a district’s measured property wealth and may increase its state aid entitlement.
  • Municipalities/counties containing park lands could see altered state aid flows and potentially different tax-cap impacts; taxpayers in other districts may be indirectly affected if the state reallocates funding.

Potential fiscal and policy impacts

  • Likely increases state aid to impacted districts, because measured local wealth decreases when large state-owned land values are excluded.
  • State fiscal exposure increases — the state may need to appropriate more education aid to maintain equalized funding.
  • Could improve local school funding equity for park communities that have extensive non-taxable state lands but still bear costs of local services.

Procedural / timeline (from provided data — inconsistent)

  • Status listed as: REFERRED TO EDUCATION (date entries include 01/10/2025 and 04/10/2025). Introduced: April 10, 2025 (per your header).
  • Multiple committee referrals and actions listed in the packet appear to come from different states and sessions. Recommend verifying the bill’s official status and calendar with the appropriate legislative clerk.

Other texts found in the provided packet (not related to the Adirondack/Catskill exclusion)

  1. New Jersey — School bus safety amendment (amends P.L.1942, c.192 / R.S.39:4-128.1): increases fines for illegally passing stopped school buses, establishes civil-penalty process for violations captured by school-bus monitoring systems, and clarifies penalties and administrative processes.
  2. Massachusetts — Amendment to Chapter 40, Section 13E (Senate Docket No. 1753 / S.1469 in MA): changes the allowed special education reserve fund cap from 2% to 5% of annual net school spending.

Recommendation

Please confirm the correct jurisdiction and provide the official bill text or a link to the bill as filed in the relevant legislature. With the official text I can produce a precise section-by-section summary, estimate fiscal impacts, and identify affected statutes.

Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.

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