Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Boces Budgets topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
BOCES budget presentation: modest admin charge increase for districts, major capital phase for regional Ed Center
Summary
Area BOCES officials told the board their administrative budget rose modestly while a planned capital program (including an 80,000 sq. ft. Ed Center addition and a dormitory-authority bond payment) is driving a larger capital charge to component districts.
Representatives from Area BOCES presented administrative and capital budget proposals that affect the 15-component districts, including Binghamton. Rebecca Stone and Chrissy Choi said both budgets are charged using WADA (daily attendance) methodology set by state statute and that the administrative budget is limited to four categories: board of education, superintendent’s office, human resources and the business office.
Stone said the region’s WADA rose by about 70 students in recent years and that BOCES’ changed investment strategy had offset some administrative cost increases, reducing the charge that would otherwise be passed to districts. For Binghamton specifically, Stone estimated a year-to-year administrative charge increase of roughly $8,000 and a net district cost (after estimated state aid) in the low hundreds of thousands.
On capital, presenters explained the district is in the final phase of a multi-year capital ramp that included an $800,000 annual increase spread across component districts to prepare for a dormitory-authority bond payment beginning in 2026–27. Stone previewed an 80,000-square-foot, two-story Ed Center addition with a dedicated special-education entrance that would add classroom capacity and roughly 150 additional special-education slots when fully configured.
Board members asked about transportation and building configurations, and about BOCES’ investment strategy that produced more liquidity and investment income. Presenters said they would provide additional investment details on request and invited board members to the April 1 annual meeting and a May conference featuring work-based learning students.
The presentation closed with an invitation to attend BOCES events and a commitment to provide further project and state-aid detail as the capital phase proceeds.
