WEBUTUCK — As one of 13 school districts that utilizes services offered by the Dutchess Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES), the Webutuck Board of Education (BOE) was presented the proposed 2019-20 BOCES budget at a board meeting on Monday, March 18.
Led by Dutchess BOCES Superintendent Richard Hooley, the presentation highlighted some of the requests BOCES was able to fulfill for county school districts, including the creation of four additional classrooms to serve students with disabilities; the creation of two new course offerings, including the Animal/Plant Science course and the dance program at Salt Point Center; and having a behavioral specialist available to share among school districts.
“We’re just proud that we’re continuing to add programs for kids and add opportunities for kids,” Hooley said on a later date. “It’s a struggle little by little, but we’re making progress.”
As one of the highlights of the 2018-19 school year, Hooley brought up the $36.8 million BOCES capital project and how well-received it was by Dutchess County voters last December. Included in its goals, the project aims to make significant improvements to student and staff security, address American with Disabilities Act (ADA) compliance issues, renovate the Dutchess BOCES Career & Technical Institute, relocate the Alternative High School and recondition the facilities at Salt Point Center. Among some of the challenges BOCES has faced this year, Hooley talked about how BOCES is trying to make sure it continues to manage retiree health insurance.
For the 2019-20 school year, the proposed BOCES budget totals $77,245,635, a portion of which is to be voted on by the component school districts.
“What we do as a partner and a service provider is we come and do a budget presentation each year so they know what that budget is that they’re voting on,” Hooley said of the BOCES budget approval process.
According to Webutuck Business Administrator Cynthia Hawthorne, the Webutuck school district paid $99,431 toward the BOCES budget last year. For the 2019-20 school year, the district will pay $98,431.
“We purchase services from Dutchess BOCES,” Hawthorne explained, “so we have to pay the administrative expenses.”
Along with the other 12 school districts that make up Dutchess BOCES, the Webutuck BOE will vote on the BOCES budget on Tuesday, April 23.
Webutuck Superintendent of Schools Raymond Castellani said because the district is still waiting to hear from Amenia Town Assessor Christopher Boryk to learn more about the assessed value for Amenia properties and how revenue from Silo Ridge will offset what taxpayers are currently paying, the BOE has decided to hold off on adopting its budget until Monday, April 29.
