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032998 Bedford to sue for overdue tuition payments
BY EMMA BLADEN
Bedford Central School District is claiming the Mount Vernon school district owes it more than $100,000, and is taking it to court in a bid to force Mount Vernon to pay up.
Bedford is claiming that Mount Vernon owes $114,464.26 for the cost of providing schooling to several students in the 1994-1995, and 1995-1996 school years.
Superintendent of Bedford Central School District, Bruce Dennis, said this week that the money was to pay for the tuition given to students, originally from Mount Vernon, while they lived in group homes in the district.
Dr. Dennis said Bedford Central provided education to a number of students living in the area who had come from outside the district. "We provide educational services and bill them back to the district of origin," he said. But this was the first time Dr. Dennis said he could recall having to take a school district to court to claim back the cost of those students' education.
Assistant Superintendent of Business and Administrative Services at Bedford Central School District, Mark Betz, said the students had been living in foster homes in the district. "I don't believe Mount Vernon school district disputes they owe us," he said. "There has just been inaction on their part. They have not been able to pay it."
Mr. Betz said Bedford Central School District each year usually provided tuition for between 20 and 25 students who had come from other school districts. "The students come from Mount Vernon, Yonkers and New York City," he said. "Some are special education students and some are not."
Mr. Betz said it wasn't uncommon for Bedford to wait a year to be reimbursed for the cost of tuition for students from outside the district.
"Sometimes we've waited one, two or three years for the money. Sometimes there is a dispute over the amount of money owed, or the timeframe students resided in this district, but this is the first time since I've been here that we've had to litigate."
Mr. Betz said the Mount Vernon school district is undergoing some changes in administrative staff, and experiencing some financial problems, which could account for the slow payment.
Edward Reilly, the acting superintendent of the Mount Vernon school district, was unable to be contacted for comment.