The following are the BOCES of New York State 2026 legislative and budget achievements:
Public sector BOCES lease terms
In 2026, BOCES of New York State urged lawmakers to update allowable lease terms between BOCES and public sector entities to 20 years to align with allowable private sector lease terms.
Legislation that would make this change passed both houses and awaits action by the governor.
Transition to zero-emission school buses
BOCES of New York State called on policymakers to establish a clear definition of what constitutes the purchase of a school bus, so when the mandate to transition to zero-emission only purchases takes effect, districts and BOCES are clear about the timeline. The New York State Education Department issued guidance indicating that the date of the purchase order will be treated as the date of purchase for the purpose of aidability. In addition, BOCES of New York State has consistently called for the state to be more responsive to the barriers and pressures that schools and BOCES are facing in implementing the transition.
In response, lawmakers adopted a five-year delay to the enactment of the mandated transition.
Piggyback contracts
In 2026, BOCES of New York State called on lawmakers to extend the authority to “piggyback” off of other government contracts for the purchase of apparatus, materials, equipment or supplies and the services related to the installation, maintenance or repair of such items for five years.
A one-year extension was signed in June of this year.
School aid
In 2026, BOCES of New York State urged the lawmakers to continue to update funding formulas to reflect current data and realities, while supporting districts seeking innovative ways to share and consolidate services.
This year, the state adopted the following changes to the Foundation Aid formula:
- Inclusion of a homeless and foster care student count to the extraordinary needs count.
- Increasing the English language learner weight for the second consecutive year from 0.53 to 0.6.
In addition, the enacted budget included a 2% due minimum increase for all districts, and fully funded expense-based aids.