COURSE REIMBURSEMENT FORM
Form available at school office or on website ~ submit to Linda Lavenda in the Assistant Superintendent’s Office
The Course Reimbursement Form is used by both WTA (Teaching Staff) and WESA (Secretarial, Teacher Assistant, and Lab Assistant Staff). Those not associated with a collective bargaining unit should speak with their supervisor for eligibility and instructions.
The WTA and WESA contracts each provide for a fund to be shared among the members of each organization. WESA staff are also eligible for partial reimbursement of costs paid by them for conference fees. In both cases, THE FORM MUST BE COMPLETED AT LEAST TWO WEEKS BEFORE THE BEGINNING OF THE COURSE. Forms submitted fewer than two weeks before, or submitted after, the course begins will not be approved. Also, in both cases, the staff member must submit a receipt and grade report/transcript in order to be reimbursed.
For WTA staff, qualifying courses are those designed “for the improvement of the state of the art” (WTA Agreement, Article XVI Section B). For WESA staff, qualifying courses must be “designed to enhance skills or acquire new skills related to the duties of the position held by an employee” (WESA Agreement, Article XIV Section 14.1).
Procedure for Approval of Course Tuition Reimbursement
1. The Course Reimbursement Form is available on the website and at each school’s office.
2. Please read the directions carefully. Requirements for reimbursement are fully explained on the front of the form.
3. Complete the form and have it signed by the building principal.
4. Once signed by the principal, submit the form to Sharon Batten in the Assistant Superintendent’s office.
5. Forms not signed by the building principal will be returned to you unprocessed.
6. Send proof of tuition payment. Proof must include the name of the educational institution and the exact amount paid for tuition. A copy of a receipt, a letter on the educational institution’s letterhead, a credit card statement showing the name of the educational institution, etc. are accepted. Originals are not necessary. Only tuition costs will be reimbursed.
7. Once the course is completed, send a copy of the transcript, grade report, certificate, or other proof that the course requirements were met.
8. Please make certain that your name and the name of the course appear on all backup materials. Otherwise they may be impossible to match, which will delay your reimbursement.
8. Once all of the backup materials (receipt and transcript) are received for a course or courses, WTA staff members will receive an initial reimbursement of up to $500.00, inclusive of all courses. WESA staff members will receive an initial reimbursement of up to $150, inclusive of all courses.
9. At the end of the school year, the balance after the payout of initial reimbursements will be divided on a pro rata basis among those who have submitted all of their materials.
Final course reimbursement calculation will not occur until all backup materials are received for every course for which reimbursement has been requested during the school year (July 1 to June 30). If you do not take the course or it is canceled, please inform us immediately so that we don’t hold up everybody’s final reimbursement for a course that was not taken. Final reimbursements will not be processed until every single request form for every single course has either been matched to a grade report and receipt OR we have been notified that the class was canceled or not taken. Staff members who do not let us know that they didn't take a course hold up final reimbursement for everyone else; it will NEVER be assumed that a staff member did not take a course. Educational entities sometimes take an absurdly long time to issue transcripts, especially for courses ending in June. Therefore, we will accept a letter from the school or instructor, on official letterhead, verifying that you have completed the requirements of the course. The sooner everyone involved submits materials to the Central Office (or informs us that the course wasn't taken), the sooner final course reimbursements will occur.
Click here for form.