Board Update
Asyoumaybeaware,ourDistrictSuperintendentandCEO,Dr.RobertM.Dufour,hasannouncedhisintentiontoretire,effective December31,2025.Asthiswillbeourfirstleadershiptransitioninmanyyears,IbelieveitwouldbehelpfultoreviewtheNewYork StateEducationDepartment’sprocess,whichwillguideusthroughthecomingmonths.
LindaBerkowicz,BOCESBoardPresident
June 2025
When a District Superintendent Departs
1. Formal Acknowledgment of Retirement/Resignation
Once the District Superintendent (DS) submits a formal letter of retirement or resignation, NYSED prepares and sends an official acknowledgment letter from the Commissioner.
2. Status Tracking and Initial Planning
NYSED updates its internal tracking systems and begins discussions to assess whether an Interim DS is necessary. In some cases, the outgoing DS may remain in place through the transition period, which can eliminate the need for an interim appointment.
3. Outreach to Component Districts and Neighboring BOCES
NYSED contacts the superintendents of component school districts and neighboring BOCES to determine whether any changes to the supervisory district’s configuration are warranted These communications are commonly referred to as "option letters "
4. Data Collection from the Outgoing DS
The outgoing DS is asked to provide data that informs the development of a survey, which will gather input from stakeholders on the future leadership needs of the district
5. Survey Preparation and Approval
NYSED uses the collected feedback to create a comprehensive survey regarding the future leadership needs of the supervisory district. This draft is reviewed and approved internally before distribution.
6. Authorization to Begin the Search Process
Following the survey ’ s review and approval, NYSED sends a formal letter to the BOCES Board President authorizing the commencement of the search process. The Board may not begin the search until this letter is received.
7. Appointment of Interim or Assistance with Search
If necessary, NYSED may assign a current DS from another BOCES to serve in an interim capacity or to assist with the search. Formal notifications are sent to all relevant parties, including the board presidents of both BOCES and the interim DS.
8 Submission of Final Candidate(s) to NYSED
Once the search is complete, the Board submits the selected candidate(s) to the Commissioner for review and approval
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9 Commissioner’s Appointment Order
Upon approval, the NYSED Counsel’s Office prepares a formal Commissioner’s Order. This order must be posted at least 72 hours before the Board meeting at which the appointment is scheduled to occur.
10. Final Appointment and Notifications
After the Board appointment, NYSED updates state databases and notifies appropriate staff. The new DS’s contact information and supporting appointment documentation are collected and stored for records.
Highlights from the data being collected by BOCES to report to SED as the replacement process progresses:
Sullivan BOCES is among the oldest BOCES in New York State. It was established on June 16, 1949, following a vote by school directors, board members, and trustees to create Sullivan County BOCES.
The first meeting of the Sullivan County BOCES Board of Education was held on January 23, 1950, making this the 75th anniversary of the establishment of Sullivan BOCES
Sullivan BOCES consists of eight component school districts: Eldred CSD, Fallsburg CSD, Liberty CSD, Livingston Manor CSD, Monticello CSD, Roscoe CSD, Sullivan West CSD, and Tri-Valley CSD During the 2025–2026 school year, Livingston Manor CSD and Roscoe CSD will consolidate to form the new Rockland Central School District. Sullivan BOCES provided support and assistance throughout the centralization process of the two districts.
Sullivan County is the 18th largest by square miles out of the 62 counties in New York State. Sullivan County is 968 square miles
(http://www usa com/rank/new-york-state--land-area--county-rank htm? hl=&hlst=&wist=&yr=&dis=&sb=DESC&plow=&phigh=&ps=)
Sullivan County ranks 33 out of 62 counties in NYS by population.
The year-round population of Sullivan County is 79,920 (https://datacommons stanford edu/ranking/Count Person/County/geoId/36?h=geoId%2F36039 )
According to the latest Robert Wood Johnson Foundation’s (RWJF’s) County Health Rankings and Roadmap report, Sullivan County ranks 57th out of 62 counties across New York State (https://www.sullivanny.gov/news/sullivan-accelerates-increase-health ).
Sullivan County ranks 17th out of 62 counties in New York State (NYS) by percentage of poverty, which is 15.2%.
Sullivan BOCES is the most economically disadvantaged and rural BOCES in the Mid-Hudson Joint Management Team and region. The recent announcement that the Federal Job Corps program in Sullivan County may close this summer due to budgetary reasons poses a serious threat to the local economy. Sullivan BOCES plays a vital role in workforce development for county residents and, through its partnerships with the county government and SUNY Sullivan, has become an integral part of the local economic infrastructure.
(https://fred.stlouisfed.org/series/S1701ACS036105, https://nyscaa.memberclicks.net/assets/docs/ Comparative-Look.pdf ).
Sullivan BOCES is the 34th out of 37 BOCES by enrollment
(https://www.p12.nysed.gov/mgtserv/boces/ enrollment/2023-24/BOCES-2023-2024Enrollment-Supervisory-District.pdf).
Enrollment by District
The total enrollment of all districts for the 2024-2025 school year is 8,952. Enrollment by district appears in the table to the right.
CTE enrollment has grown by over 30% since 2018-2019 (pre-COVID). Our projected CTE enrollment for the 2025-2026 school year is 803 students.
The Alternative Education program has increased by 29% since the 2018-2019 academic year (pre-COVID)
Special Education enrollment has remained flat, but is steadily increasing to pre-COVID levels.
Although the overall enrollment of our component districts has decreased over the past 10 years, the enrollment in Sullivan BOCES programs has increased. The chart below depicts this increase in enrollment.
Program Highlights
CTE Expansion: Over the past several years, Sullivan BOCES has expanded its Career and Technical Education (CTE) offerings by introducing new programs in Electrical Technology, Emergency Medical Services, and HVAC. Additionally, the Electrical and Welding programs have been expanded to meet growing demand. Most recently, Sullivan BOCES completed a $1,000,000 renovation and upgrade of its welding lab, providing students with improved facilities and enhanced learning opportunities
New Visions Health program: Although we initially anticipated needing to cancel the CTE New Visions Health program for the 2025–2026 school year due to a lack of students meeting the criteria, a thorough review has led to the decision to continue the program. Our districts have been notified that it will run next year.
In January 2025, we launched an Early CollegeAccess Coser. This Coser provides state aid on tuition for participating school districts that pay for their students to take part in College in the High School programs.Additionally, it offers on-campus college experiences for enrolled students and professional development opportunities for both high school teachers and SUNYSullivan professors involved in Early CollegeAccess. These student experiences and professional development opportunities are also available through other Cosers offered by Instructional Services, for districts that have College in the High School programs but are not part of the Early CollegeAccess Coser.
In the 2024-2025 school year, we created a RESTART program to support adolescents with substance abuse problems and other addictions.
Recent Initiatives
In conjunction with our partners at Sullivan County Workforce Development, we developed targeted training programs in the building trades, automotive, welding, and electrical fields Each program met twice a week for 10 weeks and was designed for adult learners, who were recruited by Sullivan County Workforce Development
In March 2025, Sullivan BOCES was awarded a $600,000 Teacher Residency Program grant from the New York State Department of Labor In partnership with Mount St Mary’s College, we anticipate launching a cohort of 12 candidates in September 2025 These candidates will begin coursework in a dual master’s program in Special Education and another subject area
We are also working with the college to create a single-subject master’s program that will run from January 2026 through the end of the grant cycle in June 2027. An additional eight candidates are expected to enroll in the program, allowing full use of the grant funding over the two-year period. The Eldred, Fallsburg, Monticello, Sullivan West, and Tri-Valley school districts have joined the Coser through which the grant is administered and will receive funding to enroll staff members in the program.
In collaboration with Ulster and Dutchess BOCES, we are working to establish a regional therapeutic placement program led by Ulster BOCES. This program will serve students with severe behavioral challenges who cannot be supported in traditional BOCES settings.