The North Syracuse school district is being punished by New York State for mistakes made by their administration 10 to 20 years ago. And each year, they're being forced to pay a heafty penalty. Our Cara Thomas shows us that people living and working in the district are worried about what the future holds.

In 2015, North Syracuse School Superintendent Annette Speach received notice that the district owed the state more than $50 million. It is a penalty for failing to complete paperwork on time for capital projects completed between 1996 and 2010. 

"The way the law used to work is that school districts got the aid whether they filed the final cost report or not and then if you didn't file it on time, one day late, you lost all the aid. It's a crazy law and even the state recognized that and in 2011, they changed that law," said Associate Superintendent for Business Services, Donald Keegan. 

But the school district is being penalized anyway. Legislators have fought on their behalf and have gotten the penalty decreased to $20 million. That forces the school to pay the state nearly $2 million annually for the next 10 years. It's a financial burden the district can't afford. 

"The people that will take the hit for this.. are our children as we start to year after year, and we've seen this happen from 2009 on, where we start to dismantle our programs and our sports programs, things that kids need to really be whole children," said John Kuryla, a parent and President of the teacher's association. 

School officials say they plan on using money from their fund balance account to pay for this penalty, but say that money will run out quickly. The account currently holds a little more than $6 million, enough to make three payments. 

District officials waited until last month to inform the public of the situation, saying they didn't want to alarm the community until they knew all the facts. Residents say they wish they had been told immediately. 

"I think you should have been upfront with the taxpayers from the beginning so they had an idea this was going on. And if you wanted to have a movement to go to our legislators and our Governor, then we should have started this two years ago," said Sam Damico, a concerned tax payer. 

Officials say a change in legislation is their only hope and administrators continue to work with their local representatives to find a solution.