WESTFIELD – The City Council referred three funding requests, submitted by Mayor Daniel M. Knapik to supplement School Department maintenance and vocational education accounts, to the Finance Committee for further review Thursday night.
Knapik is requesting the council to approve free cash transfers totaling $286,150 to the School Department.
Knapik said this morning that he is requesting $100,000 for the school maintenance program because of unprogrammed expenditures during the summer months in that account.
“There were some events over the summer that were unanticipated, such as $40,000 to replace the phone system at the vocational school, expenses that we did not foresee when we were doing the budget,” Knapik said. “So what I’m asking the City Council to do is to backfill those funds for work that was originally planned when the budget was formulated.”
Knapik is also requesting $86,150 to rehabilitate athletics fields at the North Middle School. Three ballfields were installed when the school was constructed, but were allowed to go fallow.
“They went back to grass.” Knapik said. “As part of the city’s commitment to the youth sports groups the plan is to bring those fields back to life and then to maintain them.”
Knapik said that next year he will request funding to rehabilitate the athletic fields at the South Middle School to bolster the city’s portfolio of athletic fields.
Knapik is also seeking $100,000 for vocational education programs.
“In the past we have not provided the appropriate level of resources to provide a 21st century education so the vocational kids can compete in today’s job markets,” Knapik said.
Last year was the first year of providing an additional $100,000 to the Westfield Vocational Technical High School, money dedicated to improving the equipment and technology in the school shops.
Knapik began that program because the school generates nearly $800,000 a year in out-of -district tuition that goes into the city’s general account.
“Parents expect that their kids will have the tools and technology they need,” Knapik said. “The council has been very supportive of addressing the needs of the school district.”
