Boards of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) exist across New York state to support local school districts by providing services that are shared by multiple districts, often costing less than if the districts operated the programs on their own, because the state offers aid for a portion of the program or service expense.
By participating in BOCES programs and services, the Poland Central School District is able to obtain critical services from BOCES that it is able to provide in a cost-effective and fiscally responsible manner.
“Whether directly or indirectly, Poland students benefit from all of these services,” said Laura Dutton, superintendent of Poland CSD. “By contracting with BOCES, the district shares resources that keep costs down for these mission‑critical programs while ensuring students have access to opportunities comparable to those in larger districts.”
An area of increase within the proposed budget is appropriations for BOCES administrative and capital
expenses and BOCES services. The total reflects the full cost, even The total reflects the full cost, even though a portion is reimbursable the following year. Poland will receive reimbursement by New York state for these services through state aid, commonly known as BOCES Aid.
This aid is awarded based on a state formula that evaluates the previous year’s expenditures on shared services, taking into account the district’s financial resources. Approximately 80% of our BOCES expenses are eligible for reimbursement at Poland’s reimbursement rate of 47.6%. Those who are eligible during the 2026-27 school year will be reimbursed during the 2027-28 school year.
Services included in Poland’s 2026-27 proposed budget are grouped below by category:
Instructional & Student Programs
- Career & Technical Education
- Extended School Year
- Honors Program
- School to Careers (career days,
- career seminars, job shadowing
- experiences, school counseling plan support)
- Special Education
Student Support & Specialized Staff
- Itinerant Staff: Occupational Therapy,
- Physical Therapy and Driver’s Education Teacher
- Home Instruction Coordination
Operational & Administrative Services
- Communications Services
- Data Collection
- Food Services (to manage the program,
- hire/train/supervise staff, develop menus,
- purchase and prepare food)
- Health Benefits Administration
- Health Insurance Administration
- Labor Relations Support
- Managed Information Technology
- Policy Review
- Printing and Courier Services
- Software Purchasing and Training
- Workers’ Compensation Administration
Mandated & Safety Services
- Drug and Alcohol Testing for Transportation Staff
- Safety Services (annual mandated training, review of safety plans, inspections, and training support, DASA education for students and staff)
There is a budget hearing on May 12 at 6 p.m. in the Walker Theater at Poland CSD to learn more about the 2026-27 proposed budget. The hearing is open to members of the community.
The budget vote will take place on May 19 between 2 and 8 p.m. at the “Home of the Tornadoes” Gym lobby at 74 Cold Brook Street in Poland. For more information about the proposed budget, board candidates on the ballot, voter eligibility, and more, view the 2026-27 Budget & BOE Vote section on the Budget & Finance page of our website.