The Broome-Tioga Board of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) is one of 37 such entities located around the state, each functioning as an extension of the local school districts and as a liaison between those districts and the State Education Department. The BOCES system is designed to allow school districts to share the cost of certain educational and administrative services. When two or more districts join together to purchase a service from BOCES they become eligible for additional state aid, which then reduces the costs to local taxpayers.

Founded in 1954, Broome-Tioga BOCES has been opening the doors to opportunity in this community for more than 50 years. From enrichment programs to computer services, to occupational training and special education, BOCES works with public schools, area colleges, community agencies, and other local partners to enrich lives through education.

Broome-Tioga BOCES employs about 1,200 full- and part-time people. It serves 15 school districts in Broome and Tioga Counties, comprising more than 70 schools and nearly 38,000 students. The 15 districts include Binghamton, Chenango Forks, Chenango Valley, Deposit, Harpursville, Johnson City, Maine-Endwell, Newark Valley, Owego-Apalachin, Susquehanna Valley, Tioga, Union- Endicott, Vestal, Whitney Point, and Windsor.

Broome-Tioga BOCES also offers community programs to roughly 12,000 adult students annually, and often collaborates with community agencies and local industry to provide specialized programs that are innovative and unique. Cooperative partners include IBM, The Kopernik Space Education Center, Waterman Center, United Health Services, Broome-Tioga Workforce Development System, Partnership 2000, Roberson Museum and Science Center, Broome County Early Childhood Coalition, Broome Community College, and Binghamton University.

BOCES has three specialized areas providing varied educational services:

• The Center for Educational Support and Technology provides schools with a wide assortment of educational resources, instructional programs, staff development training, and computer/technology support services. Offerings span a virtual spectrum of educational support, from services designed to track the day-to-day routine of student performance and activity, to providing professional development, to supplying state-of-the-art technology in Internet and media services.
  
  
• Instructional Programs provides center- and district-based learning environments designed to meet the personalized needs of special education and at-risk students. The Special Education Program offers the majority of the Commissioner of Education's Part 200 regulations, from inclusive services to student-specific programming. The Alternative Education Program offers a range of educational experiences designed to meet New York State standards, with credit granted by the home school district. For many students, individualized programming provides opportunities for career exploration through work experiences at various BOCES centers as well as in the community, and hands-on classroom training through the BOCES Career and Technical Education Program. The division also offers numerous itinerant services to component districts, examples being occupational therapy, speech therapy, social and psychological services, visually and hearing impaired services, and adapted physical education.
  
  Instructional Programs also provides top-quality, state-of-the-art career and technical educational opportunities to students of every ability level. The Career & Technical Education Program offers adult and high school students a continuum of instruction covering a range of occupational skills, from the very basic to advanced hands-on career training. The all-day Career and Technical High School Program allows students to pursue a parallel track, preparing for a Regents Diploma while also developing the skills necessary to succeed in college or the workplace. Students are offered state-of-the-art training in over 25 different vocational areas, including automotive services, computer-aided design, computer repair, culinary arts, cosmetology, and building trades such as masonry, carpentry, and electricity. In addition, the division offers customized job training for business and industry, as well as GED preparation.
  
  
• Management Support Services provide a professional, proficient, and cost-effective alternative to school districts looking to minimize overhead expenses. From personnel and business services to grant writing and communications, the cooperative management support services offered at BOCES are designed to meet the individualized needs of component districts while extending the obvious benefits of a shared workforce. Services include central business office, cooperative bidding and purchasing, food service management, personnel, communications, and grant writing and development.

Broome-Tioga BOCES fulfills a unique role as a regional educational service agency, helping schools and the greater community meet the needs of today and prepare for the challenges of tomorrow. BOCES: providing leadership and enriching lives through education. If your organization would like to have someone come and speak about BOCES and its programs, please contact
Dr. Joseph R. Busch, district superintendent, at 766-3802.

The members of the Broome-Tioga Board of Trustees:

• John Crosby
• Ursula Hambalek, vice president
• Roger Merrill
• Marcia Modlo
  
• Peter Nowacki
• Sandra H. Ruffo, president
• Donald Vredenburgh