Cut in BOCES Aid
to Schools Would Cost Area Taxpayers $4.3
million
(February 14, 2008)—Governor
Spitzer’s proposed state budget includes a
change in the BOCES Aid formula that, if
enacted, would amount to a more than $4.3
million loss in state aid for area school
districts.
Leaders of the
Questar III and Capital Region BOCES have joined
together with their 48 component school district
superintendents to urge state legislators to
maintain promised aid levels for BOCES costs
that have already been incurred.
“At a time
when the Governor is championing government
efficiencies and cooperation as a way to rein in
costs, it is inconsistent that he would propose
a reduction in BOCES Aid to school districts,”
says Dr. James Baldwin, Questar III BOCES
district superintendent. “Given widespread calls
for property tax relief and the savings that can
be realized through regional cooperation and
consolidation of services, our state leaders
would be well advised to provide more -- not
less -- financial incentive for schools and even
local governments to use BOCES as vehicles for
achieving greater economy and efficiency.”
While a
handful of districts would see an increase in
aid under the new formula, the vast majority
would see promised BOCES Aid significantly
reduced. Statewide, the combined loss in BOCES
Aid next year would total 10 percent or $66.9
million if the present-law aid formulas are
changed.
School
districts rely on BOCES services to bring
technology into their classrooms, analyze and
report student test scores, make their schools
safer and train their teachers in best
practices. Through cooperative sharing
agreements with Questar III and Capital Region
BOCES, school districts are able to provide a
wide range of specialized education programs
serving approximately 114,000 students around
the region. Without BOCES Aid, many districts
simply could not afford to offer the depth and
breadth of programs they now provide to
students.
Smaller and
poorer districts are particularly dependent upon
BOCES to provide quality services with greater
economy of scale. New York’s Rural Schools
Association, for example, recently urged the
state to strengthen the role of BOCES, calling
it “the most effective and efficient structure
to address regional needs.”
The state
reimburses districts a portion of the cost of
BOCES services the year after the purchase. As a
result, the new BOCES formula would shortchange
districts on expenses already incurred. This
will cause tremendous fiscal upheaval for
districts that were promised higher BOCES Aid
revenues for their 2008-09 school budgets. And
buried within the Executive Budget is a proposal
to further reduce the BOCES Aid
Ratio over a three year period.
“If this is
enacted, it hits us hard next year and for many
years to come,” notes Schalmont Superintendent
of Schools Valerie Kelsey. The new BOCES Aid
formula would cause a loss of $284,493 in state
aid to Schalmont next year. At the same time,
Schalmont’s total increase in Foundation Aid
(the ‘meat and potatoes’ of state aid to
schools) is slated to increase $135,647. “The
bottom line is our loss in BOCES Aid wipes out
any gains we’ll see in Foundation Aid – and then
some.”
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