Members of the NYS Senate Committee on Education are interested in examining ways that the BOCES model might be expanded to achieve efficiencies resulting in greater taxpayer savings. The committee heard testimony during a hearing at Erie 1 BOCES Education Campus in West Seneca on October 8, 2009.
Three hearings are being held to deepen the understanding of Boards of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) following the taxpayer savings recommendations detailed in the Suozzi and Lundine commission reports.
On October 8, representatives from 18 organizations provided testimony to the Senate Education Committee. Bridget Quinn-Carey, director of the Buffalo & Erie County Library System, spoke to how furthering coordination with schools via the BOCES structure would prove to be beneficial for the library system. Kate Foster, director of the University of Buffalo Regional Institute, highlighted her findings in a recently published study conducted by her office at the university. Per the testimony, Foster noted that what makes a BOCES model so potentially useful is that BOCES serve "multiple areas, multiple purposes and are voluntary."
Testimonies were also given by Daniel Hart of the Buffalo Philharmonic and Corrinne Cristofaro of the Western New York Charter School Coalition. Both sourced how the cooperative nature of BOCES provides a valuable, cost effective structure to further enrich learning opportunities for all students.
A number of the testimonies referenced the power a central business office would provide in assisting municipalities as well as schools for cooperative purchasing, billing and the like; the millions of taxpayer dollars that were never spent thanks to the energy and health benefit cooperatives formed by Erie 1 BOCES; opportunities that could exist with the formation of regional high schools; the enhanced technology opportunities available by working through a BOCES; and suspension of the 18-year old salary cap placed on BOCES district superintendents.
Three Senate Education Committee hearings, presided by Senator Suzie Oppenheimer, are being held across the state this October. The first hearing took place on Oct. 2 at Western Suffolk BOCES in Hunting Station, the second on Oct. 8 at Erie 1 BOCES in West Seneca, and the third will be on Oct. 13 at Jefferson Lewis BOCES in Watertown.
About BOCES
Boards of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) provide shared programs and services to school districts within the state. The BOCES network is capable of including municipalities and divisions of the state with school districts in the provision of cost-effective services. Today there are 37 BOCES, incorporating all but nine of the state's 721 school districts. BOCES services include but are not limited to management services, instructional support, technical support, alternative education, special education and career and technical education.
