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Tough questions for the Erie County Executive on asylum seekers, costs in schools

Poloncarz pledges a plan for migrant family children in local schools but questions funding for districts.

CHEEKTOWAGA, N.Y. — 2 On Your Side had the opportunity on Thursday to ask Erie County Executive Mark Poloncarz some tough questions on the still-unfolding situation with asylum seekers brought here from New York City

As we learned earlier this week 66 of those children from migrant families will be attending the Maryvale School District in Cheektowaga, and others out of the total of 115 will eventually be assigned to other districts.

However, so far it does not appear that the state or any other government agency will reimburse the district, and ultimately its taxpayers, for any additional costs that may be incurred for busing or potential hiring of more English as second language instructors. 

Poloncarz maintains this: "There's no emergency in Erie County. There's an issue."

That has been the Erie County Executive's stance even days after two alleged sexual assault cases and a tuberculosis case and Health Department screenings. They all involved migrants at Cheektowaga hotels.

Poloncarz says there is an agreement with New York City Mayor Eric Adams for now not to send more asylum seekers from New York City. 

Meanwhile, he says the National Guard is now at those hotels.

"Guard members came yesterday to act as a reassuring, stabilizing presence for the community, as well as the asylum seekers and the workers at the hotels," Poloncarz said.

Back in May Poloncarz categorized other local counties like Niagara, Chautauqua, Genesee, and Wyoming as "morally repugnant" for not accepting migrants, even as they raised public safety and resource questions.

"I said it was morally repugnant to ban people from going into living accommodations, and I still believe that," he said.

Reporter: But their point was also a public safety factor as they said we don't have resources to handle this, and didn't you as much kind of admit that on Saturday when you said that Cheektowaga needs reimbursement?

Poloncarz: "Well, I think what the problem is we were told what kind of level of security would be provided by DocGo, and that hasn't existed. I mean, that's disappointing." 

So now for Maryvale and other local school districts the challenge of 115 new school age children in Erie County. So far Gov. Kathy Hochul and the state education department have stated there will be no extra funding will be available. Hochul has been quoted as saying the $34.5 Billion she allotted for districts in the current state budget should help cover any of those extra costs.

The New York State Department o Education says it cannot authorize any emergency funding, and even as some state lawmakers like Assemblymember Monica Wallace have called for it, other lawmakers are non-committal. Speaker Carl Heastie says he hasn't ruled anything in or out but that was it.

Following on this track we asked, "What would you say to voters who are saying well Mark Poloncarz welcomed them, and now we're possibly going to have to pay more because of that?"

Poloncarz: "Every year our community receives hundreds and hundreds of immigrants and refugees, and if they have children, they are brought in to the system."

Reporter: "But refugees are paid for by the federal government sir."

Poloncarz claimed there are children in shelters who are admitted to local schools on a regular basis. 

He added: "I feel confident we're going to be announcing very soon a good plan to ensure the education of these newest residents of our community."

Reporter: And that would include funding?

Poloncarz paused and then replied, "We'll be discussing that very soon." 

Poloncarz also contends that all medical costs for the recent TB screenings by the Erie County health department and handling of a confirmed tuberculosis case in a migrant will be covered by the state health department.

He added that there are some TB cases diagnosed locally every year. 2 On Your Side is trying to confirm if all that is correct.

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