Tom Tarpley, Westfield Academy and Central School board member, is pictured during a recent board meeting. Photo by David Prenatt

WESTFIELD — Westfield school board members approved the creation of a full-time school nurse position at their supplemental meeting in October.

The necessity of creating the position was discussed by the board prior to approval.

“I have concerns about continuing to create new positions that will remain,” said board member Deanne Manzilla. “I love our nurses and I want the best for our kids, but is this position intended to be permanent or just temporary?”

Board member Tom Tarpley agreed with Manzilla, asking, “Is the safety of the children absolutely dependent on adding a third nurse?”

Superintendent Michael Cipolla responded that meeting the needs of the students needs to be addressed.

“We are administratively concerned about the level of health needs in our district,” he said.

Cipolla told board members that adding another full-time nurse would help take care if the daily health needs of the students as well as the additional tasks, like contact tracing, created by COVID-19.

“The demands are very high at this point,” he said.

Manzilla said over the years any temporary position that was created, eventually became permanent.

“These positions don’t go away. They become a necessity,” she said. “But I know the burden on the nurses.”

Board members voted 6-1 to create the new position, with Manzilla voting no. Board members subsequently approved the appointment of Katelyn S. Frye, who holds a registered nursing license, to a probationary appointment effective Nov. 8.

In a related matter board president Wendy Dyment requested approval of the School District COVID-19 Screening Testing Agreement between Chautauqua County and Westfield Academy and Central School.

Board members expressed concern over the county’s use of Quadrant Biosciences as the medical testing facility. Cipolla noted that the county is going to be using federal funds for the testing.

According to the governor’s office, the individual saliva swab diagnostic test for COVID-19 was developed by SUNY Upstate Medical University and Quadrant Biosciences. Supplemental Healthcare will provide the nurses to carry out the testing in the Chautauqua County school districts, Cipolla told the board.

Tarpley said he researched Quadrant Biosciences and then sent the annual report from the company to each of his colleagues. The report explains COVID-19 testing, including pooling of specimens.

Cipolla told board members that the testing would be done on an individual basis, then samples are pooled together in small groupings for testing, he said.

“Employees have the option to test at WACS or on their own,” he said.

Tarpley said he is concerned about the contract between the county and Westfield Academy and Central School.

“I am concerned because there is not a lot of transparency in this contract,” he said. “I’m concerned that students and staff of Westfield will be required to divulge personal information to a company that has a relationship with the People’s Republic of China.”

Cipolla told the board that Quadrant Biosciences is 2D compliant under New York state law. Also, the testing is something that is required by state law, he added.

Tarpley said that he is very concerned and he wonders why a company that has a certificate of registration issued by the People’s Republic of China has been chosen for the medical testing.

“We know that the COVID virus came from China,” he said. “It has turned this country upside down and turned this school upside down.”

Tarpley asked if there has been any discussion about having local companies do the testing. Cipolla responded that he can only make assumptions, but “if we don’t comply, I have heard that there could be fines of up to $1,000 per day.”

Board member Barbara Fay said she does not advocate for Quadrant Biosciences, but “their dealings are not exclusively with the People’s Republic of China.”

She also noted that other companies have dealings with China.

“I don’t necessarily have the strong reservations that Mr. Tarpley does,” she said.

Dyment asked if the district will be financially responsible for the testing if they do not sign the contract.

“What can the county do to us if we don’t sign this document or an alternate one?” she asked.

Cipolla said the district would have to look for their own testing provider because the district is obligated to comply with New York state legislation.

“It’s definitely something we would want to cross-reference with our insurance company,” he said.

Board members voted 4-3 to approve the School District COVID-19 Screening Testing Agreement, with board members Tarpley, Manzilla and Maras voting no.

In other business, Director of Curriculum Molly Anderson spoke about the importance of using data to improve instruction and curriculum. She told board members how WACS can use state level data to compare its performance regionally.

Anderson said this information is essential to help teachers and staff provide instruction that meets the needs of students, individually and as a group.

“This work is especially important in the area of academic intervention services,” she added.