WESTFIELD — Westfield Academy and Central School Board members at a recent meeting received several presentations and had their first budget study session for the 2022-23 school year.

Faculty member Robert Dyment gave an overview of the alternative education program conducted in the Wayside building. Dyment noted that the program began in 1996.

“We had a dozen or so kids who sent to BOCES,” he said. “We came up with the idea that we could create a program so we could keep the students here.”

Currently, 32 students are enrolled in the alternative education program. “I am very proud of our program and I am very proud of the kids in our program,” Dyment said. “The kids are a joy to be around. They are polite to each other and they are polite to us.”

Kent Knappenberger, music instructor, addressed the board about a change in venue for the Westwinds trip. Originally it was planned for the group to go to southern California, as they have done before. However, Knappenberger said, it would be difficult to take the group to California this year, so he chose a location about two hours from Ft. Worth, Texas. He requested and received board approval to change the venue to Texas.

School board members also received presentations as part of its first budget workshop session. General support, transportation and building and grounds were discussed.

Joshua Brumagin, facilities director, discussed the buildings and grounds, as well as the operation and maintenance of the physical campus. He said there is a projected overall buildings and grounds budget decrease of $11,731.

Jacob Alonge, head bus driver, talked about transportation, which he said includes the cost to transport students, maintain the vehicle fleet, the cost of insurance, fuel, maintenance and utilities, as well as salaries. He projected an overall increase of $60,753 in transportation costs.

Joshua Melquist, business official, discussed areas of general support for the district. Taken together, all areas presented in the first budget study session are projected to have an overall increase of $117,747.