New York State Education Department Bureau of School District Organization Boards of Cooperative Educational Services…

Chronological by school year, then alphabetical by county, then numerical by supervisory district number.

During the 1930s educators envisioned a comprehensive high school that would educate all children for work and life in a democracy. However, most central schools were not big enough to offer a full array of academic and vocational courses. In 1944 a Council on Rural Education, funded by farm organizations, recommended a "new type of rural supervisory district," responsible to school districts and responsive to needs of rural people. The result was the intermediate district law of 1948. While the intermediate districts were to be formed, the act provided for temporary boards of cooperative educational services (now called BOCES), which the Department hoped would "get people working together across district lines" and provide shared educational services in rural areas. The intermediate districts never came into existence, but the BOCES proved to be very popular with rural school districts and the general public, since they provided a wide range of educational services at reasonable cost, while maintaining a significant degree of local control over the programs offered by the BOCES.

Today there are 37 BOCES, incorporating all school districts except for those in the "Big 5" cities (New York, Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse, and Yonkers). A BOCES is formed by the Commissioner at the request of the school boards in one or more supervisory districts. The BOCES is headed by the district superintendent; school board representatives collectively elect BOCES members and approve the BOCES budget; and the Education Department approves BOCES service contracts. Concern that this structure insulates a BOCES from public scrutiny prompted legislation requiring the Commissioner, starting 1996, to submit an annual report to the Governor and the Legislature on BOCES finances and pupil performance. In the early years the typical BOCES service was travelling teachers for specialized subjects. After 1967 BOCES were authorized to own and operate their own facilities, and BOCES now offer vocational and special education programs as well as many administrative services for member districts.

This series consists of applications for shared services filed with the Bureau by boards of cooperative educational services. For the first two school years (1948-1949 and 1949-50) the applications are actually lists of services provided in each supervisory district. The lists indicate the type of service (including the name of the provider), schools served and their enrollment, service period, and cost. Attached to the lists are correspondence and memoranda approving services.

Beginning with school year 1950-1951, two application forms came into use, one for new services and one for continuation of services. The form for continuation of services gives service, schools or school districts, number of pupils (beginning in school year 1957-1958 this is broken down by elementary and secondary and also gives the number of elementary teachers), period of service, and cost. Each application for a new service gives the position title; schools sharing the service; number of elementary and secondary pupils and teachers; service period; estimated cost; title of courses and credit allowed; information on current provision of the service; and anticipated number of classrooms, pupils, classes, and teachers served. Applications are stamped to indicate approval of proposed services. Correspondence and memoranda relating to approval of specific services and copies of lease agreements are occasionally attached to applications.

Many applications were for the hiring of teachers and support staff people to be shared among school districts. Subjects and services requested include art and music education, physical education, health and dental services, speech therapy, guidance, industrial arts, drivers education, home economics, and data processing.

14209Series 14209, BOCES new service proposals, contains proposals for new services from 1975 to 1978

B0473Series B0473, BOCES correspondence and administrative files, contains files maintained by the Bureau of School District Organization documenting the BOCES program

11000Series 11000, BOCES annual financial and statistical reports, contains annual reports from each BOCES

B0477Series B0477, Bureau of School District Organization subject and administrative files

B0482Series B0482, Assistant Commissioner for District Organization and District Superintendents county district administration and supervision files

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