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Syosset board approves joining Nassau BOCES transportation consortium
Summary
The Syosset Central School District Board of Education voted at a special meeting to join a Nassau BOCES cooperative to bid for nonpublic pupil transportation and approved an intermunicipal agreement to allow the district to purchase seats on shared bus runs.
The Syosset Central School District Board of Education voted at a special meeting to authorize participation in a Nassau BOCES cooperative for nonpublic pupil transportation and approved an intermunicipal cooperative agreement that will allow the district to procure transportation by purchasing seats on shared bus runs.
Dr. Rogers, a district administrator, told the board the cooperative — created about 13 to 14 years ago by Nassau BOCES — allows districts to combine or share nonpublic routes so bus companies (or BOCES) can bid on larger, more competitive sets of runs. "Prior to the pandemic, it saved school districts some significant resources," Rogers said, adding the program was paused during the pandemic because of social-distancing and contact-tracing requirements and has been resurrected in the post-pandemic period.
Dr. Rufo, a district administrator, summarized the purchasing model: "You're buying a seat on the bus as opposed to the entire bus," a structure board members said could reduce duplicate runs and achieve cost savings when buses from one district pass through another.
Board members asked that the record reflect this cooperation is voluntary and not part of any state regionalization mandate. "No, it is not tied to the state's regionalization initiative. It predates all of that," Rogers said.
Both items were moved and seconded and approved by voice vote. For the first resolution authorizing participation in the Nassau BOCES consortium, the transcript does not specify a mover or seconder. The second item — approval of the intermunicipal cooperative agreement for procurement of pupil transportation services between the Nassau Board of Cooperative Educational Services and the Syosset Central School District — was moved by Ms. Levitan and seconded by Ms. Falcove and approved by voice vote. The board did not state a roll-call tally in the meeting record.
Votes at a glance: authorization to participate in the Nassau BOCES consortium — approved (voice vote; mover/not specified); approval of intermunicipal cooperative agreement with Nassau BOCES for procurement of pupil transportation services — approved (moved by Ms. Levitan; seconded by Ms. Falcove; voice vote).
The special meeting consisted of two resolutions and brief discussion by district administrators and board members; the meeting adjourned shortly after the votes. The board did not provide further details in the transcript about contract terms, expected dollar savings, or an implementation timetable.
