MASSENA -- Administrators at Massena Central School say they have confirmed that the school’s decision to move its accounts payable clerk position to St. Lawrence-Lewis BOCES is both cost-effective and completely legal.

“We contacted BOCES this morning to resolve questions brought up at last night’s board of education meeting,” said Massena Superintendent of Schools Roger Clough, II.

Rebecca Pomainville, the district’s current accounts payable clerk, asserted at the Thursday night meeting that the transfer of her job to BOCES was neither cost-effective nor legal.

Pomainville distributed a packet of papers which she said supported her claim that the plan to abolish her position and to contract for the service through BOCES would actually cost more than keeping her as a district employee.

She also suggested that the district was not actually abolishing the position, but had plans to use a current district employee to fill her role.

“Neither assertion is true,” said school board member Kevin Perretta. “Mrs. Pomainville’s calculations include the salary and benefits for someone to replace her in the district. She is our only employee who carries the Civil Service title Account Clerk; we cannot move a person who is out of title into her job.

“She was offered the BOCES position,” Perretta said. “To be fair, the BOCES job pays $10,000 less and she is under no obligation to take it. If she fails to find a new job, she would be eligible for unemployment. But the move is still a savings for the district even if we were to pay her unemployment benefits.”

The school district maintains it will save an estimated $14,000 in the first year and $33,000 in each subsequent year.