State Senator Michael Balboni this past week secured an additional $25,000 in discretionary school aid funding for the Elmont School District.

As is always the case with discretionary aid, no restrictions have been placed upon the district in regard to how this money can be used.

"This is what we in Albany refer to as 'bullet' aid," Senator Balboni said during an interview on Friday.

"It's funding for schools that is distributed after the previous year's school aid run is completed."

The senator continued, "Philosophically, my approach, going back to when I was in the state assembly, has always been to try and help those local districts whose aid the previous year fell below the average aid dispersed in their area.

"Many times what you find is that over the course of a year, a district will incur costs that were not anticipated and for which they were not adequately reimbursed. In Elmont's case these costs relate mainly to the fact that the district has a changing student population with changing needs. This supplemental aid is a way to address that situation."

Balboni also promised that the supplementary aid to Elmont won't be a one time thing.

"We got them $25,000 because they didn't do well in regard to the aid that they received last year compared with other area districts," he explained. "If they don't do well next year, I can assure you that I will begin looking for bullet aid for the district again."