Wake parents owed thousands in transportation stipends, WCPSS working ‘backlog’ of reimbursements :: WRAL.com Vibe NC

TL;DR: Hundreds of Wake County parents are facing significant financial strain and frustration as the Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) struggles with a massive backlog in transportation stipend reimbursements. Some families are owed thousands of dollars, far exceeding the district’s own 30-day payment agreement.

Wake County Families Frustrated as School Transportation Stipends Face Major Delays

For many families in Wake County, the daily drive to school is more than just a routine – it’s a necessary commitment to their children’s education. And for those participating in a special transportation stipend program, it’s a commitment that was supposed to come with financial support. However, local parents are now finding themselves in a frustrating and financially challenging situation, as the Wake County Public School System (WCPSS) confirms a growing backlog of unpaid transportation reimbursements, with some families owed hundreds, even thousands, of dollars.

WCPSS officials have acknowledged the widespread frustration. In a statement, a district spokesperson admitted, “WCPSS recognizes that some families participating in the parent transportation stipend program have experienced delays in receiving reimbursements this school year, and we understand the frustration this has caused.” For parents shelling out for gas and vehicle wear-and-tear daily, understanding frustration is one thing; resolving it with prompt payments is another.

This critical program offers a $25-per-day reimbursement to families whose students are assigned a seat on contracted vendor transportation – a crucial distinction, as it does not apply to students using traditional yellow school buses. Designed to ease the burden of private transport when district services aren’t directly available, the stipend is capped at $500 per month and covers one trip per day, regardless of how many times a student travels to and from school.

Kaitlyne Hall, a mother from Wendell, is one of the many parents caught in this financial limbo. She estimates the school district owes her approximately $2,000. Her exasperation is palpable: “We [parents] are the ones calling you [schools]. You’re not calling us telling why we’re not receiving anything.” Her sentiment resonates with countless others who feel left in the dark, struggling to manage household budgets while waiting on overdue funds.

According to district officials, the roots of this significant backlog are multifaceted, stemming from a combination of factors:

• Staffing vacancies within the department processing these payments.
• Process inefficiencies that slow down verification and approval.
• The unexpected growth and popularity of the stipend program itself.

Each monthly submission requires a meticulous review, confirming student attendance, valid insurance coverage, driver documentation, and other necessary information before payments can be approved and issued. This thoroughness, while important, is clearly not keeping pace with demand.

Local reports indicate that Ms. Hall’s experience is far from isolated. Dozens of other parents across Wake County report being owed substantial amounts, some for the entire academic year, others for the second semester alone. Brooke Santos, a Raleigh mother, for instance, has been diligently submitting her stipend logs since September but has yet to receive a single reimbursement for the entire school year. “It’s quite annoying, especially because gas is so expensive and her main school is not the closest to us,” Santos shared, highlighting the real-world financial pinch families are feeling.

Adding to the burden, families must submit a detailed packet of documents each month to qualify for the stipend. This includes:

• Daily stipend log and parent reimbursement form
• Student attendance record (obtained from the school’s data manager)
• Proof of active automobile insurance (declaration page or copy of insurance card)
• Copy of a valid North Carolina driver’s license

Despite these extensive submissions, WCPSS could not provide an exact count of outstanding versus processed submissions. Currently, 786 students are approved for the stipend program, and more than 5,200 individual stipend submissions have been filed, illustrating the sheer volume of paperwork and the depth of the backlog.

WCPSS has stated it’s addressing the issue on two fronts: improving the current reimbursement process to minimize delays, and simultaneously working to provide more direct transportation services in the future, thereby reducing the number of families who need to rely on stipends. Officials are also exploring automating portions of attendance verification to cut down on paperwork. However, no specific timeline has been provided for when this backlog will be cleared, leaving many families in a state of uncertainty.

Perhaps most frustrating for parents is the district’s own transportation agreement, which stipulates that stipends are supposed to be paid within 30 calendar days of invoice submission. This agreement is clearly not being met, shattering the trust parents place in the system. As Kaitlyne Hall put it, “You’re supposed to trust your county to say, ‘This is the program, this is what you’re eligible for and getting in return.’ But you’re not getting it in return. Gas is insane, $2,200 would go a long way.” With the school year drawing to a close, Wake County families are hoping for swift action to resolve these outstanding payments.

Original reporting by via www.wral.com. Read the full original source here. Categories: WRAL investigates,WRAL specialists,education,5 on Your Side,Wake County Public School System Join the discussion: #Wake #parents #owed #thousands #transportation #stipends #WCPSS #working #backlog #reimbursements #WRAL.com