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Onondaga Cortland Madison BOCES Board of Education Members
Robert Crabtree - President
Joan Reeves - Vice President
Nicholas Blaney
Wayne Brownson
Christine Gregory
Marissa Joy Mims
Lisa O'Reilly
Peg Peri
Shawn Reyburn
Kimberly Sacco
Jodi Wiesing
Wayne Brownson
Christine Gregory
Marissa Joy Mims
Lisa O'Reilly
Peg Peri
Shawn Reyburn
Kimberly Sacco
Jodi Wiesing
2025-2026 OCM BOCES Budget Calendar
| November | 15 | Fri |
2025-2026 Services available online for School Superintendents, School Business
Officials and other Component School District Administrators
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| Nov – Jan | BOCES administration meets with component school districts at regional meetings to review service guide/initial request process. | ||||
| December | 17 | Tue | Initial Requests due from districts for preparation of the Initial Budget | ||
| February | 12 | Thur | Tentative BOCES Administrative, Capital, and Rental Budget Presentation and Initial Budget Review at combined CSA/SBO Meeting | ||
| Final Request for Services procedures reviewed with business officials. | |||||
| February | 28 | Fri | Last date to initiate Project Requests with the RIC for 2024-25 | ||
| March | 3 | Fri |
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| March | 19 | Wed | BOCES Administrative Budget distributed to school districts for BOCES Annual Meeting | ||
| April | 2 | Wed | Annual Meeting -- OCM BOCES, Cortlandville Campus | ||
| April | 7 | Mon | BOCES Clerk mails BOCES board ballots to component school districts | ||
| April | 9 | Wed | Final Request for Services due at BOCES (Component school districts must notify of intent to participate in specific services) | ||
| April | 21 | Mon | Annual election and statutory budget vote on 2025-2026 Administrative budget | ||
| April | 22 | Tue | Component school districts must transmit Board resolution approving/disapproving the tentative BOCES administrative budget and election of Board members | ||
| April | 24 | Thur | 2024-2025 Technology Projects must have proposal signed by district staff and returned to the RIC in order to claim state aid for 2025-2026 | ||
| May | 15 | Thur | Final 2025-2026 Rates available to districts in WinCapWeb |
Operating Procedures
BOCES Service Requirements
BOCES services are regulated by the NY State Education Department. Requirements include the following criteria:
1) All services and programs must be submitted and approved by the State Education Department regardless of funding and availability. The process of submitting services for approval is conducted annually. Services are approved for one year only by the State Education Department. Services are not typically approved when that service can be effectively provided by individual school districts.
2) In order to qualify for state aid, a BOCES service must be shared between two or more school districts or one district and the BOCES. BOCES may provide unshared/unaided services to school districts only with prior approval from the State Education Department.
3) In the development and justification of new BOCES services, new services should ensure:
BOCES services are regulated by the NY State Education Department. Requirements include the following criteria:
1) All services and programs must be submitted and approved by the State Education Department regardless of funding and availability. The process of submitting services for approval is conducted annually. Services are approved for one year only by the State Education Department. Services are not typically approved when that service can be effectively provided by individual school districts.
2) In order to qualify for state aid, a BOCES service must be shared between two or more school districts or one district and the BOCES. BOCES may provide unshared/unaided services to school districts only with prior approval from the State Education Department.
3) In the development and justification of new BOCES services, new services should ensure:
- school district commitment and need for the services
- increased program effectiveness/cost-efficiency
- avoidance of duplication
5) Itinerant staff positions must be shared with another school district or BOCES. When an itinerant position is shared between two districts and another district requires the same itinerant service but no share can be found, a "hanger" occurs. One "hanger" per CoSer (Cooperative Service Agreement) is permitted for state aid purposes as long as the .6 FTE is not exceeded. Districts receiving the services of a "hanger" are prohibited from hiring the same employee on their own for additional time.
BOCES Fiscal Requirements
1) BOCES contracts annually to provide educational services to local school districts. Lacking the legal authority to levy taxes or issue bonds for capital improvements, BOCES generates its revenue from charges to component and non-component school districts, federal grants, state grants and individual tuition fees for special programs and training.
2) BOCES is required to submit budget estimates for the State Education Department for annual approval. All expenditures resulting from delivering the services must be paid by the school districts participating in that services. Since school district needs continually change, service budgets are revised throughout the year to reflect changes in levels of service.
3). Each BOCES service budget is independent. No funds may be transferred between service budgets. At the close of each fiscal year, any surplus funds are distributed to the schools participating in that service. Conversely, any shortfall of revenue in a particular service budget is charged back to school districts in order to balance each budget.
BOCES Costs to School Districts
Administrative Charges
The annual contract for services specifies administrative costs as either administrative or capital. Administrative costs normally include some administrative and clerical costs, a portion of the cists for operation and maintenance and board of education expenses. Aid on this portion of administrative expenses is payable in the year following the expenditure. Capital expenditures for debt service and rental costs are aidable during the year of expenditure (current year aid).
Each participating school district is charged a prorated share of the administrative and capital budgets based upon the district's resident weighted average daily attendance (RWADA). The actual RWADA figures are typically based on two-year old data.
Service Costs
The annual contract for services specifies administrative costs as either administrative or capital. Administrative costs normally include some administrative and clerical costs, a portion of the cists for operation and maintenance and board of education expenses. Aid on this portion of administrative expenses is payable in the year following the expenditure. Capital expenditures for debt service and rental costs are aidable during the year of expenditure (current year aid).
Each participating school district is charged a prorated share of the administrative and capital budgets based upon the district's resident weighted average daily attendance (RWADA). The actual RWADA figures are typically based on two-year old data.
Service Costs
Tentative unit costs for most services based upon the initial requests provided by school districts will be identified prior to the Final Request process. These costs are still projections and subject to change based upon school districts' changing needs, enrollment changes, etc.
Career and Technical Education and New Vision
The district is charged for next year's Career & Technical Education program charges based upon current year student enrollment. The student enrollment for each district is a weighted average of the September through October enrollments of the current year.
Equivalency of Attendance Programs (EOA)
Costs are based upon actual student contact hours. The program covers students, ages 16-20, who have dropped out of school without obtaining a high school diploma. Each school district wishing to participate in EOA must annually sign a participation agreement, delegate a school district contact person, and request a specific amount of dollars to be allocated to CoSer 463. It is difficult for districts to estimate costs since the program is offered year round and it is difficult to predict the number of students wishing to enter the program. The actual contract hours may vary widely by student since students are at various stages of program completion. Prior to a student entering the program, the school district contact must give permission to the BOCES to begin services. School districts are billed approximately four times annually for new student contact hours (usually September, November, February and May). BOCES aid is not generated for this CoSer. School districts need to claim total student contact hours on the appropriate state aid forms.
Special Education Charges
Special Education charges are based upon individual tuition costs on a current enrollment basis. The costs do not normally qualify for BOCES aid. State aid is generated through attendance, excess cost and high cost state aid depending upon the individual circumstances of each student. Tuition costs are typically billed in ten equal installments per the service contract. A school district is responsible for paying the tuition for each month a student attends, regardless of the number of days attended in a particular month. School districts should complete a drop form when a child exits a program. The effective date of the drop is the day the BOCES receives the drop form, regardless of the date listed on the form.
Alternative Education Costs
Charges for Alternative Education are based on the tuition multiplied by the number of seats reserved by each school district on its final request for services, plus any enrollment increases experienced during the next budget year that exceeded the final request for services. Costs for unused seats are generally not refunded to the requesting district.
Cross Contracts
Cross Contracts allow component school districts to acquire services available from other BOCES if those services are not available from Onondaga Cortland Madison (OCM) BOCES. The component school district must request the service from the OCM BOCES which then contracts with the BOCES that will provide the service. The requesting school district must complete a cross contract with OCM BOCES. Below is a list of some of the services from other BOCES that are available through a cross contract.
Career and Technical Education and New Vision
The district is charged for next year's Career & Technical Education program charges based upon current year student enrollment. The student enrollment for each district is a weighted average of the September through October enrollments of the current year.
Equivalency of Attendance Programs (EOA)
Costs are based upon actual student contact hours. The program covers students, ages 16-20, who have dropped out of school without obtaining a high school diploma. Each school district wishing to participate in EOA must annually sign a participation agreement, delegate a school district contact person, and request a specific amount of dollars to be allocated to CoSer 463. It is difficult for districts to estimate costs since the program is offered year round and it is difficult to predict the number of students wishing to enter the program. The actual contract hours may vary widely by student since students are at various stages of program completion. Prior to a student entering the program, the school district contact must give permission to the BOCES to begin services. School districts are billed approximately four times annually for new student contact hours (usually September, November, February and May). BOCES aid is not generated for this CoSer. School districts need to claim total student contact hours on the appropriate state aid forms.
Special Education Charges
Special Education charges are based upon individual tuition costs on a current enrollment basis. The costs do not normally qualify for BOCES aid. State aid is generated through attendance, excess cost and high cost state aid depending upon the individual circumstances of each student. Tuition costs are typically billed in ten equal installments per the service contract. A school district is responsible for paying the tuition for each month a student attends, regardless of the number of days attended in a particular month. School districts should complete a drop form when a child exits a program. The effective date of the drop is the day the BOCES receives the drop form, regardless of the date listed on the form.
Alternative Education Costs
Charges for Alternative Education are based on the tuition multiplied by the number of seats reserved by each school district on its final request for services, plus any enrollment increases experienced during the next budget year that exceeded the final request for services. Costs for unused seats are generally not refunded to the requesting district.
Cross Contracts
Cross Contracts allow component school districts to acquire services available from other BOCES if those services are not available from Onondaga Cortland Madison (OCM) BOCES. The component school district must request the service from the OCM BOCES which then contracts with the BOCES that will provide the service. The requesting school district must complete a cross contract with OCM BOCES. Below is a list of some of the services from other BOCES that are available through a cross contract.
| CoSer | Description | BOCES |
| 401 | Marine Biology | Suffolk |
| 412 | Performing Arts | Cayuga-Onondaga |
| 416 | Performing Arts | Oswego |
| 504 | Access to College Education | Tompkins-Seneca-Tioga |
| 613 | Handicapped Transportation | Oswego |
| 618 | Planning Services | Erie 1 |
| 660 | State Aid Planning | Questar |
Qualifying for BOCES Aid
After BOCES submits each service CoSer, the CoSer and program description are reviewed by the State Education Department prior to action. Action may take the form of one of the following:
All eligible service expenditures are aided at the school district's BOCES aid ratio - Examples of ineligible service expenditures are BOCES salaries in excess of $30,000; materials that are not shared between two or more participating districts or materials that become the property of the district, and expenditures that general state aid in other categories such as Excess Cost Aid.
Approved without aid - The service may be operated by the BOCES but no state aid will be payable to the school districts. The program may not qualify for aid because it is already aided through another aid category, or the service does not meet the service requirements outlined above.
Approved with variable aid - A service may be operated and some state aid will be payable but aid is restricted. The Instructional Graphics CoSer is an example of this category. Costs for supplies, such as paper, that become the property of the school district, are not aidable. However, other related costs for printing would receive aid, including labor, toner, and printing costs.
Not approved - BOCES cannot operate the program (regardless of aid).
District Superintendent's Services
The District Superintendent serves as the Commissioner's representative to the 23 school districts in the Onondaga Cortland Madison supervisory area. In addition to acting as CEO of the BOCES, he/she acts in an advisory capacity for all school districts in the BOCES, serving as a consultant and liaison between the New York State Education Department (SED), component district Boards of Education and district staff.
Superintendent Selection
The District Superintendent serves as a consultant to school districts, following a formal request, to perform superintendent searches. There is no fee for this service. Costs are limited to printing, advertising and distribution of vacancy announcements.
Other Functions
The District Superintendent will also provide the following services:
1). Facilitate communications between SED and local districts
2). Interpret and clarify Commissioner's Regulations
3). Mediate and resolve boundary issues.
4). Faciliate discussion regarding district reorganization or merger
5). Serve as a facilitator for board goal settings and retreats
6). Serve as a consultant or mediator regarding:
Superintendent Selection
The District Superintendent serves as a consultant to school districts, following a formal request, to perform superintendent searches. There is no fee for this service. Costs are limited to printing, advertising and distribution of vacancy announcements.
Other Functions
The District Superintendent will also provide the following services:
1). Facilitate communications between SED and local districts
2). Interpret and clarify Commissioner's Regulations
3). Mediate and resolve boundary issues.
4). Faciliate discussion regarding district reorganization or merger
5). Serve as a facilitator for board goal settings and retreats
6). Serve as a consultant or mediator regarding:
- Board/Administrator relationships
- Management and planning
- Program evaluation
- Other issues of educational concern
Matthew Cook, District Superintendent
(315) 433-2602
mlcook@ocmboces.org
