WACS board member Steve Cockram.

WESTFIELD — Like other schools in the area, the Westfield Academy and Central School District finds itself in the position of having to fight for reimbursement for transportation costs incurred while delivering meals and instructional materials to students from March 16 through the end of June.

A letter drafted by WACS board of education member Steve Cockram and endorsed by the Administration, Board of Education, Westfield Teachers Association, and Internal Support Staff was sent to Phyllis Morris, the state Education Department chief financial officer. Copies were also sent to Gov. Andrew Cuomo, state Sen. George Borrello, R-Sunset Bay, and state Assemblyman Andrew Goodell, R-Jamestown.

The letter “strenuously” objects to the state Education Department’s refusal to reimburse school districts for transportation costs incurred in delivering meals and instructional supplies to students during the period that the schools were closed.

“WACS believes that the transportation expenses it, and many other school districts, incurred by properly reacting to the COVID pandemic should be reimbursed through state aid at their regular rates,” the letter states. “We believe that following the Governor’s Executive Orders (EO) make its transportation expenses fall into an aided category as they provided the essential services required under the Executive Orders.”

Board members first discussed this matter at their regular meeting on Nov. 9. Cockram told fellow board members that the state Education Department released a memo stating that transportation costs incurred by districts during the period of time schools were required to go remote — March through June 2020 — would not be eligible for transportation aid.

Also, at the Nov. 9 meeting, Julia Murphy, district business manager, said the district spent a grand total of $155,264 on transportation from March 19 through June 30. Board member Tom Tarpley noted that delivering meals was mandatory and reimbursement was expected by school districts.

At the Nov. 23 meeting, Cockram presented a draft of a letter to fellow board of education members, which they enthusiastically endorsed. Cockram, however, noted that according to Dr. Rick Timbs, executive director of the Statewide School Finance Consortium, it’s not so much the quality of the letters, it’s the number of letters that they receive.

“Everyone needs to send a letter,” Cockram said. “This is more than $150,000 of revenue which we may not have.”

Cockram notes in the letter that the loss of the 90% reimbursement cost the district $139,730, plus additional expenses that were incurred over the summer.

“While WACS recognizes the State’s fiscal crunch and expects the belt tightening that we have already experienced this year to continue, WACS expects to be held harmless, from an aid perspective for our past actions in complying with the pandemic Executive Orders. This is the $150,000 question for us,” the letter states.

Also in the letter, Cockram cites Gov. Cuomo’s executive orders during the pandemic which state that, “The state Education Department shall promulgate guidance for districts to ensure access to meals for students in need, critical educational supports for students and distance learning options,” and “School districts shall develop a plan for alternative instructional options, distribution and availability of meals, and child care.”

Cockram then notes in the letter that the state Education Department put out an email stating that school meals, child care and distance learning should be considered essential services.

“The SED accepted that school’s modified role superseded some of its other obligations,” he said.

The letter also stresses an executive order issued on March 27 that declared that school districts “must continue plans for alternative instructional options, distribution and availability of meals and child care,” and added that school districts should not lose aid due to the inability to meet the 180 day session requirement.

“This EO implies that as long as schools are answering the needs of their students, as identified in the EO, then state aid would not be withheld,” the letter states.

The letter goes on to note that all districts faced the problem of how to deliver meals and instructional supplies to families. “Luckily schools have school buses and bus drivers,” the letter states. “The drivers already knew all locations these essential items need to be delivered to. It was simply logical to avoid having to lay off its transportation department to have all of these things delivered by buses.”

The letter then relates how, on Nov. 6, school districts received a memo from the state Education Department that transportation costs incurred during the remote learning period were disqualified for aid because the buses did not actually transport students.

“We at WACS disagree and believe that transportation expenses from last and this fiscal year remain eligible for state aid,” the letter states. “We believe that the governor’s multiple Executive Orders supercede ALL NYS law and ALL SED regulations.”