Schumer Seeks Sandy Transportation Reimbursements for Local Schools

In the almost six months since Hurricane Sandy, the Massapequa School District has been saddled with transportation costs for those students displaced by the late October storm.

Now Senator Charles Schumer is calling on the Hurricane Sandy Rebuilding Task Force to help reimburse local school districts that have seen increased transportation costs for students displaced by the superstorm.

"While it's important for students to get back to their schools, teachers and friends as soon as possible after a major disruption like Sandy, local school districts shouldn't be left responsible for the costs of a national disaster," Schumer said at a Monday press conference at Harding Avenue Elementary School in Lindenhurst.

Over a thousand students across Long Island were displaced by the storm. The cost to Massapequa's school district wasn't yet available, Schumer's office said. Long Island districts have spent more than $1 million in transportation costs for displaced students.

Massapequa isn't the only school district that's had additional student transportation costs resulting from Sandy. Some others including Long Beach, Island Park, Baldwin, Seaford, Lindenhurst, Amityville and Copiague.

Schumer said Congress passed legislation to reduce the impact on local governments, so it makes sense for some of that aid to go to districts to help them transport students affected by the storm.

Otherwise, he said, the burden will be left with local taxpayers, and that could impact the education of the children in affected districts "which aren't rolling in the dough."

The districts' obligation to provide transportation comes from the McKinney Vento Assistance Act, which requires districts to provide transportation to displaced or homeless students within a 50-mile radius.

What Schumer said he's trying to do is get some reimbursement for districts through the Sandy Task Force to help them with the transportation costs of those students specifically displaced by the superstorm.

The senator said he's written Shaun Donovan - secretary of the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development who's also chair of the Sandy Task Force - asking for help with this issue.

In his letter the senator said, "While I understand the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has indicated they'll be unable to reimburse school districts for this expense, I ask you work with my staff to identify assistance opportunities for districts to help fund this service."

He noted the Sandy relief package that was passed "was flexible in nature in order to address rising concerns such as this one."

"The money is there to do this," Senator Schumer said. "We're putting this together in the next few months."

Once it is, then there'd also be ways districts like Massapequa would be able to apply for the Sandy supplemental money. As of right now there weren't any specifics about exactly when this would happen or how to apply.

Currently, Massapequa  is in the midst of putting together its school budget for 2013-14, just like other districts on Long Island.

When asked if districts  would be able to be helped now as they put together their school budgets for 2013-14, the senator said they "can probably budget for this money for next year" as the goal is to get this money to the districts as soon as possible.