Use this search box to find articles that have run in our newspapers over the last several years.

No more free rides

Date: 12/1/2008

City owed overdue bus fees



By G. Michael Dobbs

Managing Editor



Area mayors have questions over whether or not their cities actually owe Springfield reimbursement for the busing of homeless and foster children to Springfield schools from their communities.

Holyoke Mayor Michael Sullivan, whose city supposedly owes Springfield over $500,000, said, "The check is not in the mail."

According to information from the Springfield School Department's Department of Transportation, the amount owed is close to $1 million. So far, West Springfield paid its debt of $54,472.24, Amherst/Pelham their combined $9,075 and South Hadley its total of $10,116.50, according to John Maloney, executive director of the Department of Transportation.

"I think two or three of the smaller communities have followed through," Sarno said. "Obviously many of them felt they don't have to abide by or pay it. I did not make these rules."

"We're footing the full share 100 percent," he said. "It's supposed to be a 50-50 split."

Sarno said the invoices sent to the surrounding school superintendents in August were not a surprise to anyone and that he made follow-up phone calls to area mayors.

Sarno then reached for a thick folder on his desk and opened it up to show copies of the letter and his hand-written notations about calls he made to people such as Sullivan.

"My style is not to blindside anyone," he said.

Chicopee Mayor Michael Bissonnette acknowledged that Chicopee owes Springfield reimbursement money, but added that Springfield owes Chicopee as well.

Under the request of Springfield City Councilor Timothy Rooke, the School Department released a list of communities that, under the provision of the McKinney-Vento Act the only federal legislation on homelessness so far passed by the Congress, should reimburse Springfield for the busing of children.

Rooke had asked for an audit of the children covered by the McKinney-Vento Act currently in Springfield's schools. He was told the School Department has hired a coordinator for this issue. Rooke believes communities should compare lists of affected students to make sure the numbers are correct.

"Before knocking on other's doors, do we owe anyone else?" he asked.

As explained by Bissonnette, the reimbursement is part of an effort for municipalities to stabilize children who are homeless, in foster care or under the supervision of the Department of Children and Families. He said that these children historically have been moved in and out of school districts as their living arrangements changed. Keeping them in the same school helps these children during a difficult time in their lives, but frequently requires busing them.

"They [the homeless and foster children] never get a chance to connect somewhere," Bissonnette said.

Under the provisions of the McKinney-Vento Act, communities can seek reimbursement from other communities, but Sullivan said that only applies if there is an agreement between the communities. He added that Holyoke has no agreement with Springfield and has been trying to reach an accord for the past five years.

"And I have the letters to prove it," Sullivan said. "We don't owe it. There's no dispute," he added.

Sullivan said that one problem between the two communities is a lack of agreement on how the amounts owed are determined.

"We don't know their accounting methods," he said.

While he said he "understands Springfield's frustration," especially in light of a recently discovered $5 million deficit in Springfield's school budget, the effort to bill Holyoke for $562,156.26 is "wrongheaded."

Sullivan said he didn't receive a letter or phone call from Sarno.

Bissonnette said Chicopee officials have come to a figure of $34,000 as its debt to Springfield as opposed to the $21,943.15 Springfield has announced. He added that Springfield owes Chicopee $11,000.

Rather than see communities squabble over such matters, Bissonnette believes the state should handle the reimbursements the same way it does to pay communities through the School Choice program. He noted that municipalities receive a credit on state school aid when it accepts students from other towns and a debit when its students go elsewhere.

"That's what should happen here," he said. "Dealing with it on a Cherry Sheet [the notification of state school aid] basis is a much more equitable solution."

Like Holyoke, Chicopee has been exchanging letters with Springfield for five or six years in order to make a formal arrangement.

The other communities owing Springfield money are Agawam, $9,022.50; Belchertown, $4,642.97; East Longmeadow, $640; Greenfield, $34,395.59; Longmeadow, $1,215; Ludlow, $3,545.75; Monson, $6,878; Palmer, $1,360; Southwick/ Tolland, $7,141.05; Ware, $8,440; Westfield, $12,539.14; and Wilbraham / Hampden, $2,400.