At their most recent meeting, Cipolla gave board members an update on new travel protocols which went into effect Nov. 4. He then explained the “cluster zone approach” which is being used in New York state and the financial situation in the district, as it relates to cuts in state aid.

Gov. Andrew Cuomo put into place new travel protocols, Cipolla said. Anyone entering New York from a non-contiguous state, who has been out of the state for more than 24 hours, must have a COVID-19 test and be quarantined for at least three days upon arrival in New York. On the fourth day, that person must obtain another COVID-19 test, he said.

If travelers receive a negative test result on their fourth day in the state, they may exit quarantine, Cipolla said. Travelers who were out of the state for less than 24 hours are not required to quarantine, but must get a COVID-19 test on their fourth day of arrival back in New York, he added.

Tom Tarpley, board member, raised the issue of travel over Thanksgiving vacation. “We have a holiday coming up and many people travel,” he said. “Have we received any guidance from the Department of Health regarding kids that are in quarantine?”

Cipolla responded that he is certain that the school will be notified of any students who have re-entered New York and are under quarantine.

“I imagine we will be notified of students who test positive or are quarantined,” he said.

Cipolla reviewed the state’s “cluster zone approach” for Chautauqua County. This approach uses yellow, orange and red designations, he said.

A yellow designation means a geographic area has a seven-day rolling average positivity above 3.5% for 10 days and has 15 or more new daily cases per 100,000 residences on seven-day average, Cipolla said. Board member Steve Cockram noted that the Westfield area is in danger of receiving this designation.

School districts which are designated in a “yellow” region must test 20% of students and teachers and staff weekly in order to continue in-person education.

“If we are designated a yellow zone, there will be restrictions and a mandatory 20% random testing of teachers, students and staff,” Cipolla said. “Our neighbors in Erie County are going through this as we speak.”

School districts in an orange or a red zone must go to remote-only classes, Cipolla said.

Cipolla said the district will continue to disinfect and clean all facilities, to work in collaboration with the Department of Health to evaluate each case of COVID-19, continue to conduct daily health screenings, and provide communication to the school community.

The third matter which Cipolla reviewed is the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The New York state Division of the Budget is projecting a $14.9 billion general fund revenue decline,” Cipolla said. “They expect a total loss of nearly $63 billion in revenue through fiscal year 2024 as a direct result of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

Cipolla, along with Julia Murphy, district business manager, discussed the impact these figures might have on the district.

“A 20% withholding of state aid to Westfield does not mean the same thing a 20% withholding might mean to another district,” Cipolla said.

Murphy noted that, while some districts depend on state aid for more than 20% of their budgets, Westfield’s position is not that critical. However, 56% of the district’s revenue comes from state aid, she said, with the district on a spending freeze for the 2020-21 school year.

“There are many unknowns regarding state aid cuts,” Murphy said. “We have to revisit our reserves and think about the district’s tax rate for the years to come.”

Regarding loss of revenue, the matter of the customary New York’s reimbursement of 90% for transportation costs was discussed by members of the board. Tarpley asked if there is validity to the assertion that transportation costs incurred during the shut-down will not be reimbursed.

Cockram shared a letter which he received from the New York State School Boards Association, dated Nov. 8, 2020. The letter states that “late Friday, 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 — would not be eligible for transportation aid.”

Cockram said the memo stated transportation aid is based on transporting pupils to and from school, so districts claim transportation reimbursement for delivering meals and instructional materials.

Murphy said the district spent a grand total of $155,264 on transportation from March 19 through June 30. This includes fuel, salaries, insurance and repairs, she said. If the state refuses to reimburse these costs, the district will face $139,739 in lost revenue.