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HFM
BOCES adjusts services to meet district demands
Changes in programs and staff highlight early decisions about
2011-12 school year
Two Career & Technical Education programs will be discontinued,
a new engineering technology program will be added, and six
non-teaching positions will be eliminated for the 2011-12
school year as HFM BOCES adjusts services to meet the demands
from its component school districts.
The economic hardships felt by school districts also influence
the services that HFM BOCES is able to provide. As component
school districts consider what level of educational and
non-educational services they will purchase, HFM must consider
modifications to the depth and breadth of the services it is
able to offer.
HFM BOCES component districts have until April 1 to submit their
service commitments for the 2011-12 school year. Their Boards of
Education then vote on the HFM BOCES administrative budget on
April 27.
“We allot our resources strategically to provide the very best
educational opportunities for our students, and the highest
quality services that our component districts demand,” District
Superintendent Patrick Michel said. “We must decide when it
makes sense to continue certain services as they are, and when
it makes sense to make adjustments that better meet the demands
of our schools.”
Some decisions have already been made regarding the 2011-12
school year. A new Engineering Technology program—a
collaborative partnership with HFM BOCES, Fulton-Montgomery
Community College, and the National Science Foundation—will be
introduced, while one-year programs in Nurse Assisting and
Diversified Health Occupations will be discontinued in June, at
the end of the 2010-11 school year.
Other decisions will result in the elimination of six
non-teaching positions as component schools require fewer
services in specific areas. Staff reductions in the work-study
program and courier service will account for three positions.
The other three positions will be eliminated when BOCES suspends
full-scale cafeteria service at the end of this school year.
This decision, driven by fiscal and programmatic needs, will
save BOCES nearly $100,000 a year.
Additional space is needed for the culinary program because the
Fulton-Montgomery Community College kitchen, which HFM’s
students have used because of the program’s large enrollment,
will no longer be available when the college begins its new
dormitory project.
“HFM BOCES exists to meet a wide range of needs for a diverse
group of schools,” Dr. Michel said. “It’s critical that we
continue to innovate and adapt to these evolving needs, and
provide the exceptional educational opportunities and shared
services our schools expect.”
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