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Was it the lottery? Port Byron would lose total state aid under Cuomo plan

The Port Byron Central School District could be in line to lose hundreds of thousands of dollars in state aid during the state's next fiscal year.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo's 2018-2019 executive budget proposal released Tuesday has Port Byron among a handful of districts across the state that would see a net decrease in state funding.

Neil O'Brien, the district superintendent, said he believes that drop can be at least partially attributed to a 2015 lottery win in the area. O'Brien has been lobbying state officials for several years over the impact of retired electrician Richard Loveless' $42 million dollar victory could have on the state aid that Port Byron receives. That lottery win raises the district's combined wealth ratio, as a district's overall income impacts the amount of aid it receives.

Under Cuomo's plan, Port Byron could lose $358,035, or 2.83 percent, in total state aid without factoring in building aid. With building ad factored in, the decrease would be $763,154, or 5.43 percent. The total state aid decline would come even as the governor's budget has Port Byron receiving a 1.55-percent boost in foundation aid.

The Citizen:
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