A: The Smart Schools Review Board is a statutorily-created panel comprised of the Chancellor of the State University of New York, the Director of the Budget, and the Commissioner of Education, or their respective designees. The Smart Schools Review Board is tasked with issuing guidelines regarding the Smart Schools Investment Plans that districts will be required to submit for approval. These guidelines will include any required components of the Smart Schools Investment Plans, as well as more details regarding the timeline for plan submission and any additional spending parameters.

A: Bond proceeds may be used for capital projects to:

• ·      Acquire learning technology equipment or facilities, including but not limited to interactive whiteboards, computer servers, and desktop, laptop, and tablet computers;
• ·      Install high-speed broadband or wireless internet connectivity for schools and communities;
• ·      Construct, enhance, and modernize educational facilities to accommodate pre-kindergarten programs and to provide instructional space to replace classroom trailers; and
• ·      Install high-tech security features in school buildings and on school campuses, including but not limited to video surveillance, emergency notification systems, and physical access controls.

A: The 2014-15 Enacted Budget included a methodology to calculate the Smart Schools allocation amount for each school district in the State. Each school district will receive an allocation of the $2 billion Smart Schools that is proportionate to the district’s share of total formula based school aid in the 2013-14 school year, excluding Building Aid, Universal Prekindergarten Aid, and the Gap Elimination Adjustment. For example, if a district receives 2.0% of total State school aid, the school district’s Smart Schools allocation would be $40 million (.02 * $2,000,000,000). These amounts have already been calculated. The allocations for all districts in NYS are available at http://www.governor.ny.gov/smart-schools-ny.

The allocation for Bath Central School District is $1,826,167.

A: The Smart Schools Bond Act was passed as part of the 2014-15 Enacted Budget. (L. 2014, ch. 56, Parts B and C). The Smart Schools Bond Act authorizes the issuance of $2 billion of general obligation bonds to finance improved educational technology and infrastructure to improve learning and opportunity for students throughout the State.