School official quits over state aid flap

The Smithtown school administrator whose oversight caused the district to lose more than $3 million in state aid has resigned, Superintendent Edward Ehmann said.

A pair of audits commissioned by the district found that the former administrator, when relatively new to the job, mistakenly assumed that four aid applications for state construction aid had been filed on time, Ehmann said. The filing error occurred six years ago.

Ehmann declined to identify the person or say when the person resigned, saying personnel issues are confidential.

He revealed the resignation last week during questioning by reporters about Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo's veto of bills that would have restored lost state aid to the Smithtown, Central Islip, Babylon and Rocky Point districts.

State Sen. John Flanagan (R-East Northport), chairman of the Senate Education Committee, has said he will seek restoration of Smithtown's aid in next year's state budget.

The state rejected Smithtown's request for $3.1 million in aid because the district had failed to file four reports in 2005 that confirmed the completion of construction and renovation projects at district schools. Explaining the veto of a bill to restore the funding, Cuomo said legislators did not budget the funds.

Ehmann said the district would dip into reserve funds to cover the lost aid.

The lost aid also could result in the loss of an additional $10.5 million in aid as construction work continues over the next 15 years, Ehmann said at a school board meeting Tuesday night.

Internal and external audits found that the administrator, who was responsible for overseeing capital projects, believed incorrectly that the paperwork already had been filed with the state. The administrator, who had been appointed to the post shortly before the error occurred, had been trying to catch up on a backlog of paperwork after the position had been vacant for several months, Ehmann said.

The audits found no other problems with the district's state aid application system, Ehmann said, adding that the district now has additional people assigned to the task to prevent future mistakes.

"We put safeguards in place," he said.More than 70 state aid applications have been successfully completed since 2000, earning the district $43 million in reimbursements for $150 million worth of construction, school officials have said.