Board Update January 2024
Highlights New Structure of Instructional Support Division Helps Districts
In the spring of 2023, the Curriculum and Instructional Support Services (ISS) Division announced a new delivery model geared toward the districts’ needs. Our component districts have positively received the new model and have said that the flexibility of choosing the consultants they bring in to work with their staff is a positive change. The school business officials appreciate the model’s predictability and like receiving the BOCES aid when professional development efforts go through the ISS Division. For BOCES, being more hands-on in the planning and implementation process of professional development provides a better understanding of what is happening in our districts. This allows the division to support the districts more effectively.
Assemblywoman Gunther and Senator Oberacker Visit On December 1, Assemblywoman Gunther and Senator Oberacker came to Sullivan BOCES to meet with school superintendents and Board Presidents. During the meeting, the assemblywoman and senator gave an overview of what’s happening in Albany, and the superintendents and Board members had the opportunity to address issues affecting school districts in our county.
New Coser Assists Districts with Teacher & Leader Development Sullivan BOCES will operate a shared service designed to improve the skills of teachers, administrators, and other instructional support personnel. Programs may include opportunities to receive additional certifications in both teaching and administration, as well as program offerings that will expand leadership skills and enhance pedagogy.
What's In This Issue: New Structure of ISS Legislative Visit Teacher & Leader Developement Classroom News Budget Development
Sullivan BOCES | 15 Sullivan Avenue Suite 1W, Liberty, New York 12754 | (845) 295-4000 | scboces.org
Classroom News Student Council Members Present to Non-instructional Staff Student Council members visited the Offices & Conference Center to talk about the initiatives they have done over the past year and their future plans. The students did a great job taking turns talking to the staff.
Students Rewarded for Their Accomplishments at Principal’s Lunch Each month, students in the Elementary program are rewarded for their accomplishments by having lunch with Principal Megan Becker. At this month’s Principal’s Table, students were recognized for being Thankful and made turkeys as a reward.
Students Learn About Holiday Customs December was a busy month for students as they learned about and participated in different activities of the various holidays. They have enjoyed tasting different foods and making menorahs and dreidels. Some of the students even learned how to play the dreidel game.
Real Life Experience Adds Excitement Over the past few months, several of our students have been working on pre-vocational skills and social skills at CARE (Catskill Animal Rescue). The experience has allowed our students to meet new people and learn how to care for animals.
Sullivan BOCES | 15 Sullivan Avenue Suite 1W, Liberty, New York 12754 | (845) 295-4000 | scboces.org
Career & Tech Center ALLIED HEALTH, NEW VISION & HEALTH OCCUPATIONS Students in the Allied Health, New Vision Health, and Health Occupations programs participated in a fantastic learning experience facilitated by the Director and Manager of Emergency Medicine at Garnet Health. The students actively participated in a mock Bus Disaster Drill involving various patient scenarios, emergency vehicles, and guidance from the hospital staff. After the drill, the team at Garnet Health held a debriefing that enriched the experience with invaluable insights.
BROADCASTING/MUSIC PRODUCTION The students have started their internships and are hard at work in the WJFF studio. This is the second year that CTE’s Broadcasting/Music Production program has partnered with WJFF on internship opportunities for our students. Some of the intern’s responsibilities include editing promos, recording promos, recording voice-overs, and various clerical/office tasks.
ELECTRICAL TRADES Our Electrical Trades students have been working on ground fault circuit interrupter (GFI) outlets, which protect a standard outlet with GFI support. Each student made a cord and cap, which was used for testing, and practiced assembling a main junction box. They also took on a project involving a switch that controlled half of a duplex receptacle and fixed a light fixture similar to what you'd find in living or dining spaces.
PUBLIC SAFETY
The Public Safety class visited the Orange County Police Academy and the Village of Maybrook PD. The experience gave students a comprehensive understanding of the requirements for success in law enforcement.
Sullivan BOCES | 15 Sullivan Avenue Suite 1W, Liberty, New York 12754 | (845) 295-4000 | scboces.org
2024-25 Budget Development The BOCES budget is developed annually in a collaborative manner with our component school districts. While there are some similarities to a school district budget, overall the BOCES budget differs greatly. There are three major components of a BOCES budget - Administrative, Capital/Rental and Program. It’s also important to note that a BOCES does not levy taxes nor does it receive state aid, its primary source of revenue is from tuition and program fees charged to participating districts.
Administrative and Capital Budgets The administrative budget supports the cost of the BOCES board of education, central offices, including the district superintendent, the business office and human resources. Also, the law requires that all Other Post-Employment Benefits (retiree’s health insurance & Medicare reimbursements) be included in the administrative budget. The capital and rental budget includes the cost of capital projects and leased spaces. Charges for the administrative and capital budgets are allocated to districts based on a State Education Department - developed formula known as RWADA (Resident Weighted Average Daily Attendance). Based on student attendance/enrollment, each district pays a proportionate amount based on their share of the total RWADA. Therefore, larger districts pay a larger share while smaller districts pay a smaller share of the administrative costs.
Program/Service Budgets Program budgets are specific to each service the BOCES provides and must include all of the actual costs of running each individual program. This is another distinct difference from a school district budget as the BOCES basically develops over forty “mini-budgets” within its general fund to account for all of its program/services. Annually, local boards of education review their district’s needs and make decisions about BOCES services. As districts’ needs change every year, decisions to purchase specific BOCES services also vary from year to year. The information each school district provides in its Initial Services Request response is critical to the BOCES budget development process. At our Annual Meeting on April 11th, we will share our budget booklet and present more detailed information about the BOCES budget.
Key Dates April 11, 2024 - BOCES Annual Meeting April 16, 2024 - BOCES Board Member Election & Budget Vote Sullivan BOCES | 15 Sullivan Avenue Suite 1W, Liberty, New York 12754 | (845) 295-4000 | scboces.org