Erie 1 BOCES lays out new special‑education campus and career‑tech opportunities for Williamsville students

Dr. Capuana (speaker 18), Erie 1 BOCES superintendent, presented to the Williamsville board on March 10 about regional services, CTE programs and a special‑education campus expansion. He described Erie 1 BOCES as an ‘‘extension of your school system’’ serving 19 districts and said popular CTE programs for Williamsville students include health careers (CNA credential), culinary arts, animal sciences and criminal justice.

On the special‑education expansion, Dr. Capuana said a new campus is under construction and scheduled to open in September 2027. He said the campus will consolidate roughly 350 students from multiple sites onto one campus, add capacity for up to about 180 additional students across the region, and include 75 classrooms plus design features such as a town‑square concept, multiple cafeteria spaces, a marketplace and student‑run boutique.

Capuana noted the state‑level regionalization work and priorities presented to the Commissioner of Education, including graduation measures, chronic absenteeism, transportation innovation and equity in course offerings. He said BOCES is working with component districts, including Williamsville, on regulatory guidance and technology platforms to support changes in graduation measures and student records.

Board members thanked the BOCES team and asked clarifying questions about regionalization and graduation‑cohort reporting. Presenters emphasized the difference between 4‑year cohort graduation metrics and 5–6‑year outcomes for students with disabilities, and described supports such as co‑teaching and specially designed instruction intended to raise outcomes.

What happens next: the board was invited to review additional slides and links in BoardDocs showing enrollment breakdowns and construction updates; no formal board vote was taken on BOCES items during the meeting.