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NORTH COLONIE, N.Y. (NEWS10) – Some taxpayers are wondering how the education for children of asylum seekers will be funded. Local officials said they have funds to get the children started but need to monitor the situation closely.
North Colonie Central School District Superintendent Kathleen Skeals said for now they have the capacity to get the new group started this fall.
“So initially we are ready to go. I think we have appropriate resources but it is something we will have to continue to watch and monitor,” said Skeals.
She credits Mohonasen Central School District for paving the way and helping them get answers from DocGo.
“I have to say we have been helped a lot by our partners at Mohonasen. You know they have a similar situation and they’ve been a little bit ahead of us, so thanks to them we have been able to get some names of some contacts. I will say we have had probably an easier time with it than they did in getting information,” said Skeals.
Mohonasen Central School District Superintendent Shannon Shine says he only has partial answers to the funding questions he’s asked.
In an email Shine said: “DocGo will not be paying us anything. It does not appear that the New York City mayor’s office or the NYC educational system will be paying us anything either.”
On Friday Skeals did not rule out the potential of getting funding from New York City.
“Just this week the commissioner, the governor, the New York City mayor’s office all met and so that is still an ongoing conversation and I think that will continue to be evaluated,” said Skeals.
Both Shine and Skeals say some of the funding will come through the existing foundation aid system from New York State but it’s unclear if those funds will be sufficient to meet all of the needs.
Skeals says they’re having conversations, to locate resources, with the Capital Region BOCES – a liaison with the state education department. She said federal grants and state aid are possibilities they’re exploring.
When NEWS10 asked DocGo how much they’re spending on educating the asylum seeking children they referred us to “city hall”.
Next week, a team of administrators, social workers and translators with the North Colonie Central School District will go to the children to get them enrolled.
Skeals said once the children do their assessments and the district learns what level their speaking, reading and writing skills are at, then they can determine how much they’ll need in additional funding.
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