After approval from Gov. Andrew Cuomo, Schalmont Central School District residents will have an extra 21 days to pay their school taxes. The Board of Education had allowed on Monday, Sept. 26, for Superintendent Valerie Kelsey to request the extension, which changes the tax submittal date to Oct. 21 instead of Sept. 30. The announcement from the district came one day before the deadline. The school board’s decision followed talks between Assemblyman George Amedore, R-Rotterdam, reaching out to the school to try to establish a grace period for people affected by the flood. Amedore originally had suggested a 90-day grace period for flood victims, but according to the confines of the law the school district wasn’t able to secure the extended period. “Many residents are struggling to deal with property loss and are trying to put the pieces of their lives back together. For many, payment of tax bills due in the coming weeks will be challenging if not impossible. I feel it is a reasonable and responsible for local leaders to waive late penalties for flood victims,” said Amedore in an earlier statement. “We hope our residents will find some comfort knowing they have a little more time to pay their school taxes,” said Kelsey in a statement. “This is just another example of the many ways we’re trying to help our residents get through this unbelievably difficult time.” Residents can mail their payments to the district office at 4 Sabre Drive, Schenectady, NY 12306, or stop by weekdays from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. There is also a drop-box for payments made after hours. Any tax bill payments received after Oct. 21 will be subject to interest or penalty, said district officials.