WESTFIELD — Westfield Academy and Central School officials say they are resolved to be “proactive” by seeking consent forms for COVID-19 rapid testing in the event that the area should be designated a yellow zone, board of education members learned at their regular meeting Jan. 11.

Michael Cipolla, Westfield superintendent, told board members that there has been no indication that Westfield will be designated a yellow zone, in which case the district would be required to test 20% of its in-person population, including students and staff during a two-week period.

“We have to be prepared in the event New York State would designate Westfield as a yellow zone,” Cipolla said. “I think it’s time to be proactive and gather consents for testing.”

Cipolla said the district surveyed school families over the last three weeks and the majority of the 100 respondents indicated that they would consent for testing. If the district is designated a yellow zone, 150 people would need to be tested to meet the 20% requirement. He reviewed the agreement the district has with Westfield Memorial Hospital to facilitate the testing process.

Cipolla told the board that, beginning tomorrow (January 12), Corey Markham, Westfield Academy and Central School secondary principal, and Dr. Mary Rockey, elementary school principal, will begin sharing information with families and acquiring consent forms.

“As we watch rates climb, we will continue to monitor our zip code and our neighboring zip codes,” he said.

In a related matter, Cipolla addressed the matter of vaccines. He told board members that education has fallen into Phase 1-B, effective January 11. This means that any individual who works in education is eligible for the vaccine.

“The supply is lower than the demand for the vaccine at this point,” he said. “So, the best thing we can do is to continue to monitor the situation.”

Board member Tom Tarpley noted that board of education members are eligible for the vaccine, as well.

“I think it’s really important that we start registering for the vaccine,” he said. “I would like to see the school return to normal and this seems like the best avenue to do it.”

In other business, board members again discussed the district’s annual contribution of $11,000 to Patterson Library. At their meeting on March 9, board member Thomas Tarpley asked how the $11,000 figure is determined.

Steve Cockram who was board president at that time responded that the amount of the donation has been the same for as long as he can remember. While no one on the board could specifically explain how the figure is determined, board members Phyllis Hagen and Deanne Manzilla pointed out how much Westfield students depend on Patterson Library.

In researching the matter, district clerk Tina Winslow reported that the district has been financially supporting Patterson Library since 1932. The matter was discussed a few times during the 1930’s and 1940’s, Cipolla said, and at some point it became part of the district’s budget.

“Is there a need to add this as a separate proposition in May . . . to put it up to a vote?” Cipolla asked the board.

Board member Deanne Manzilla responded that she presumes board of education members did the correct and proper thing at the time.

“I’m mainly concerned about the students and the support they get from Patterson Library,” she added.

In response to an inquiry from board president Wendy Dyment, Tarpley said he is raising the issue at this point because he wants to make sure WACS is following state law.

“And we have a library here. Can some of the money be diverted to our own library?” he asked. “Also, what are we gaining for our $11,000?”

Cockram noted that, as long as the amount remains the same, the item does not need to be put up to a vote, but if the library should request an increase then it must be added as a separate proposition in May. Cipolla said the library director will be contacted and asked to give a presentation to board members on how the donation is used.

In another matter, board members received a presentation from faculty members Kendra Bills and Laura Wilson on the district’s mentoring program. Wilson is in charge of the program for new teachers in the middle school and high school and Bills supervises the program for new teachers at the elementary level.

Wilson said that she, herself, was in the mentoring program when she came to WACS as one of 14 new teachers who were hired in one year. She participated in the program before it became New York state law.

“I can’t tell you enough how much I benefitted from it,” she said. “My mentor, to this day, is like a mother to me, so it has long-lasting effects.”

Wilson noted that now all state teachers with their initial certification must participate in a mentoring program. She told board members that the program helps new teachers feel welcome, gain skills, get to know Westfield, have a confidant and liaison, and helps them make friends.

Bills said she uses her meetings to help teachers with district forms, logistics, lesson planning, discipline and data tracking.

“Really, just anything they want to discuss,” she said.

The purpose of the meetings for secondary teachers is similar to the elementary meetings.

“We meet with them first at new teacher orientation,” Wilson said. “We talk about lesson planning, sub plans, student discipline, and so on.”

Markham told board members that high school students will begin making course selections for next year beginning on Feb. 1.

Markham also updated board members on the sports program. High risk sports, such as basketball, wrestling, hockey and cheerleading, are on pause right now, he said.

“We’re really just waiting for decisions to be made,” he said.

Spring sports, most of which are low to moderate risk, should start on April 19, Markham said. He noted that this is subject to change.

Rockey, told board members that, looking at data, “you can see that we are sliding downward. It’s just difficult to educate students with distance learning when they are little.”

However, recent data shows that the students have been regaining much of what they’ve lost, Rockey said.

“Our faculty in the elementary school are working diligently to help ameliorate the deficiencies and we are making progress,” she said. “It’s just not as good as it would have been if we’d have been in the building consistently.”