Relates to property used by the Greenburgh North Castle Union Free School District number 12 and authorizes such school district to affiliate with Rising Ground, Inc.
NEW YORK STATE ASSEMBLY MEMORANDUM IN SUPPORT OF LEGISLATION submitted in accordance with Assembly Rule III, Sec 1(f)
BILL NUMBER: A8682
SPONSOR: Shimsky TITLE OF BILL:
An act to amend chapter 118 of the laws of 1969, relating to a separate
union free school district in the town of Greenburgh in the county of
Westchester, in relation to property used by the Greenburgh North Castle
Union Free School District number 12 and authorizing such school
district to affiliate with Rising Ground, Inc.; and to repeal subdivi-
sion b of section 5 of chapter 118 of the laws of 1969, relating to a
separate union free school district in the town of Greenburgh in the
county of Westchester, relating to authorizing the Greenburgh North
Castle Union Free School District number 12 to affiliate with any child
care institution or entity other than St. Christopher's School, Inc.
PURPOSE OR GENERAL IDEA OF BILL:
to amend to amend chapter 118 of the laws of 1969, relating to a sepa-
rate union free school district in the town of Greenburgh in the county
of Westchester, in relation to an affiliation with Rising Ground, Inc.;
and to provide for the repeal of certain provisions upon expiration
thereof
SUMMARY OF PROVISIONS:
Section 1 amends the laws of 2024 to extend the funding for the Green-
burgh North Castle Union Free School District, grants authorization for
them to sell their empty facilities following the bankruptcy of St.
Christophers Inc., allows them to contract with Rising Ground, Inc., and
provides for the establishment of a school board.
Section 2 repeals subdivision b of section 5 of chapter 118 of the laws
of 1969.
Section 3 is the effective date.
JUSTIFICATION:
The Greenburgh North Castle Union Free School District is a Special Act
School District, created by Chapter 118 of the Laws of 1969 for the
purpose of providing education services to students who reside in St.
Christopher's, Inc. childcare institution. St. Christopher's filed for
Chapter 11 bankruptcy on April 29, 2024. This bill would ensure the
Greenburgh North Castle Union Free School District can continue to oper-
ate following St. Christopher's Bankruptcy and contract with Rising
Ground.
PRIOR LEGISLATIVE HISTORY:
This is a new bill
FISCAL IMPLICATIONS FOR STATE AND LOCAL GOVERNMENTS:
Undetermined
EFFECTIVE DATE:
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
8682
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
May 29, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. SHIMSKY -- read once and referred to the Commit-
tee on Education
AN ACT to amend chapter 118 of the laws of 1969, relating to a separate
union free school district in the town of Greenburgh in the county of
Westchester, in relation to property used by the Greenburgh North
Castle Union Free School District number 12 and authorizing such
school district to affiliate with Rising Ground, Inc.; and to repeal
subdivision b of section 5 of chapter 118 of the laws of 1969, relat-
ing to a separate union free school district in the town of Greenburgh
in the county of Westchester, relating to authorizing the Greenburgh
North Castle Union Free School District number 12 to affiliate with
any child care institution or entity other than St. Christopher's
School, Inc.
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Section 5 of chapter 118 of the laws of 1969, relating to a
2 separate union free school district in the town of Greenburgh in the
3 county of Westchester, as added by chapter 179 of the laws of 2024, is
4 amended to read as follows:
5 § 5. a. Notwithstanding section three and four of this act, the Green-
6 burgh North Castle Union Free School District number 12 of the towns of
7 Greenburgh and North Castle in the county of Westchester shall continue
8 to constitute a separate union free school district during the 2024-2025
9 school year and thereafter and shall continue to have and enjoy all the
10 powers and privileges of a union free school district under the
11 provisions of the education law. For purposes of continuing to provide
12 instruction to students enrolled in the school district during the
13 2024-2025 school year and thereafter, the territory of the Greenburgh
14 North Castle Union Free School District number 12 created by this chap-
15 ter shall include property identified in lease agreements executed by
16 the school district including the [agency] lease for the school facility
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD13275-01-5
A. 8682 2
1 located at 71 Broadway, Dobbs Ferry in the town of Greenburgh, county of
2 Westchester, 108 Shonnard Place in the city of Yonkers, county of West-
3 chester [and 1700 Old Orchard Place in the village of Valhalla pursuant
4 to chapter 224 of the laws of 2010;], 29 Marshall Road, Wappingers Falls
5 in the towns of Wappinger and Poughkeepsie, county of Dutchess, 623
6 Blooming Grove Turnpike, in the town of New Windsor, county of Orange
7 and 45 East Gainsborg Avenue in the village of West Harrison pursuant to
8 chapter 264 of the laws of 2017 as well as properties leased and/or
9 owned by Rising Ground, Inc. in Westchester, Bronx or Dutchess counties
10 at which a residential treatment center affiliated with Greenburgh North
11 Castle Union Free School District number 12 is operated provided, howev-
12 er, that the commissioner of education has approved the use of any
13 building used by the school district for purposes providing instruction
14 and provided further, however, that the use of the property located at
15 623 Blooming Grove Turnpike, in the town of New Windsor, county of
16 Orange, shall be discontinued on or about June 30, 2025.
17 b. Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, subject to approval of the
18 department of education and the office of children and family services
19 and any applicable terms of the Capital Facilities Financing Act or
20 applicable approval of the dormitory authority, the board of education
21 of the Greenburgh North Castle Union Free School District number 12
22 created by this chapter shall be authorized to affiliate with a child
23 care institution as defined in section 4001 of the education law other
24 than the St. Christopher's School St. Christopher's - Jennie Clarkson
25 Child Care Services Corporation. Upon state approval of such affil-
26 iation, the board of education of the Greenburgh North Castle Union Free
27 School District number 12 as created by this chapter shall be comprised
28 of seven members, five elected by the board of directors of such child
29 care institution and two public members appointed pursuant to chapters
30 628 and 629 of the laws of 2004. The board members shall serve for terms
31 of up to four years. Additionally, following state approval as described
32 in this subsection, education responsibility for students placed in the
33 affiliated child care institution shall be governed by article 81 of the
34 education law.
35 c. Notwithstanding any law to the contrary, the board of education of
36 the Greenburgh North Castle Union Free School District number 12 created
37 by this chapter shall be authorized to affiliate with Rising Ground,
38 Inc., a child care institution as defined in section 4001 of the educa-
39 tion law. Upon such affiliation, the board of education of the Green-
40 burgh North Castle Union Free School District number 12 as created by
41 this chapter shall be comprised of between five and nine members, with
42 members to be elected by the board of directors of Rising Ground, Inc.
43 and with two such board members being public members appointed pursuant
44 to chapters 628 and 629 of the laws of 2004. The board members shall
45 serve for terms of up to four years. Additionally, education responsi-
46 bility for students placed in the affiliated child care institution
47 shall be governed by article 81 of the education law.
48 § 2. Subdivision b of section 5 of chapter 118 of the laws of 1969,
49 relating to a separate union free school district in the town of Green-
50 burgh in the county of Westchester, is REPEALED.
51 § 3. This act shall take effect July 1, 2025, or the date upon which
52 the lease agreement for property located at 623 Blooming Grove Turnpike,
53 in the town of New Windsor, county of Orange expires, whichever date
54 occurs first. Provided, further, that the Greenburgh North Castle Union
55 Free School District number 12 shall notify the legislative bill draft-
56 ing commission upon the expiration of such lease agreement in order that
A. 8682 3
1 the commission may maintain an accurate and timely effective data base
2 of the official text of the laws of the state of New York in furtherance
3 of effectuating the provisions of section 44 of the legislative law and
4 section 70-b of the public officers law.
