Advocacy News
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District Superintendents Meet with Legislators on BOCES Advocacy Day
On Feb. 25, 2026, district superintendents from across the state met with lawmakers to advocate for the coalition’s legislative priorities. BOCES of NYS asks lawmakers to: Address Critical Workforce Shortages Public Sector Lease Terms School Aid Free Appropriate Public Education (FAPE) 22 School District “Piggyback” Contracts Transition to Zero-Emission Buses Learn more about this year’s…
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BOCES of NYS Urges Governor Hochul to Support Legislation Amending Local Finance Law for Settlements
In a letter dated August 7, 2025, the BOCES of NYS urged Governor Hochul to approve S.6372, Mayer / A.7631, Lunsford, an act to amend the local finance law, in relation to the probable usefulness of judgments, compromised claims or settled claims resulting from certain child sexual abuse cases. If enacted, the legislation would allow…
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New York State Budget Includes Long-Awaited Changes to Modernize BOCES Aid
After years of advocating for changes to BOCES aid, New York’s Boards of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) are celebrating a significant legislative victory included in the recently adopted state budget. A key provision included in the final budget is an adjustment to the state aid formula that reimburses districts for a portion of the costs…
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Testimony at the Joint Budget Hearings on Elementary and Secondary Education
Good morning, Chairpersons Krueger, Pretlow, Mayer and Benedetto, and other Members of the Senate and Assembly. I am here today on behalf of BOCES of New York State, the entity representing the District Superintendents of the 37 Boards of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) of New York State. Thank you for allowing us the opportunity to…
Boces of ny state news
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BOCES Educational Consortia meeting focuses on advocacy achievements, legislative priorities, emerging issues
BOCES leaders, board members and education partners from across New York convened Thursday, Oct. 22, at the Hyatt Regency Buffalo during the New York State School Boards Association (NYSSBA) Annual Convention for the BOCES Educational Consortia (BEC) meeting. Led by Lauren J. Gemmill, District Superintendent and CEO of Capital Region BOCES, and Michael Capuana, District…
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BOCES of NYS highlights 2026 legislative, budget achievements
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…
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Schoharie CSD club helps high school students gain sense of belonging
The Youth Belonging Leadership Team (YBLT) at Schoharie Central School District has proven to be effective for the past four years at helping students feel like they can be respected for who they are. Following remote learning during COVID and a return to in-person instruction, students and staff at Schoharie Junior-Senior High School were noticing…
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Culturally Responsive Learning Exchange launches to support NY’s Portrait of a Graduate
The BOCES of New York State has renamed and expanded the former DEI Repository as the Culturally Responsive Learning Exchange, a statewide resource-sharing platform designed to support school districts as they advance Culturally Responsive-Sustaining Education (CR-SE) and align their work with New York State’s Portrait of a Graduate (PoG) vision. The Exchange serves as a…
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Talent on display at Annual BOCES EXPO
On Monday, April 20, the marble halls of “the Well” in the state’s Legislative Office Building (LOB) were transformed into a showcase of talent, innovation and opportunity, as 28 of New York’s 37 BOCES gathered for the annual BOCES Expo. Programs in Career and Technical Education, such as Auto Body, New Visions Allied Health, and…