Monroe One BOCES District Superintendent Dan White testified in front of members of the New York State Senate and Assembly during the Joint Budget Hearings on Elementary and Secondary Education on February 2. He was invited to speak on behalf of the Superintendents of the 37 Boards of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) of New York State. District Superintendent White addressed school aid, the workforce, state support for Career and Technical Education (CTE) Programs, access to mental health services, and the zero-emission bus transition.
School Aid
Over 100,000 students participate daily in BOCES’ programs throughout the state. That's why school aid is so important. District Superintendent White recognized that this year’s Executive Budget proposal includes about $35.306 billion in school aid. That’s a statewide increase of $825 million or 2.4%. However, there are two significant proposed cuts to the Foundation Aid Formula. The first would get rid of the proposal that makes sure districts receive at least as much aid as the year before. The second changes how inflation is calculated, “artificially suppressing that number from 4.1% to 2.4%, and as such, artificially suppressing formula-generated foundation aid awards for every district in the state,” explained District Superintendent White.
BOCES of New York State want these changes rejected. They also recommend that, if there are changes, the districts have time to prepare. They want to avoid being forced into a position where changes must be made suddenly in a way that negatively impacts students and staff.
In a third point, BOCES recommend altering state law to allow school districts to retain and be funded for special education students through the end of the school year in which they turn 22.
Workforce
The critical workforce shortages affecting all employers are also putting BOCES in difficult situations. Even when people are hired to fill essential positions, many teachers, mental health professionals, and bus drivers choose to leave for other opportunities. District Superintendent White proposed incentives like scholarships and loan forgiveness to give BOCES a way to address financial barriers.
“Further, the state could and should take steps to eliminate administrative barriers to certification and licensure, and encourage willing retirees to stay in the workforce while longer-term solutions are established.” said District Superintendent White.
He once again pushed for the state to modernize the civil service hiring and promotion rules. You can read about the last effort to change the process here.
Other recommendations include expanding school-based mental health clinics, identifying the challenges that come with the transition to zero-emission buses, and increasing state support for CTE programs. The full testimony is available on the Boards of Cooperative Education Services of New York State website.
