Business Services

Dutchess BOCES offers a series of cooperative management programs. These programs are designed to provide cost savings, improved service delivery and higher efficiency through shared services among the component districts.

Cooperative Bidding

Under this program, BOCES, in consultation with the Cooperative Bidding Committee, develops detailed specifications and conducts competitive bidding for various commodities, supplies, equipment and services to meet its own needs and those of participating local school districts. Cost savings are achieved through price discounts that are obtained from vendors as a result of increased quantities and an increase in efficiency, since duplication of effort is reduced. With the more cost-effective development of complex, detailed specifications, where outside consultant help is needed, the costs of such expenses can be included in the service. Thus, the expense of specification development on a project-by-project basis is eliminated.

Cooperative Maintenance

Under this service BOCES coordinates, manages and provides highly skilled maintenance technicians such as electricians, a carpenter, roof maintenance workers, refrigeration workers, plumbers, etc., as needed. Shared Maintenance personnel can provide assistance with telephones and telecommunications wiring. The program is currently working on the development of boiler maintenance services. A shared summer maintenance crew can also be provided to assist districts with summer maintenance needs. On a shared basis, such personnel are available to perform preventive, routine and emergency maintenance for participating districts. The service is not intended to take the place of the existing maintenance staff.

Cooperative Recruitment

Under this CO-SER, the BOCES Personnel Office provides shared staff recruitment services to school districts. Services include local, regional and national advertising of vacancies, coordinating the flow of applicant information, maintaining a database of job applications/resumes, liaison with placement offices, attendance at recruitment fairs, as well as the development of joint efforts to broaden the range of the applicant pool available to school districts. Internet posting of vacancies is also provided by the service. An on-line application is available for quick submission of information by candidates.

Cooperative Transportation

This service assists component school districts with their out-of-district and special transportation routes. Dutchess County BOCES provides coordination for this shared program in compliance with transportation regulations and issues BOCES-wide transportation bids. Transportation contracts are coordinated among the contractors, BOCES and participating school districts. Cost savings are achieved by competitive pricing and consolidation of bus runs among the participating local school districts. Duplicate routes and associated costs are eliminated through cooperation among participating districts servicing regular and special education students. It is estimated that members of the Cooperative saved over $3,000,000 during the eleven years of its operation.

Employee Benefits Coordination • 
Dutchess Educational Health Insurance Consortium [DEHIC]

The Dutchess County Schools Worker’s Compensation Self-Insured Program trustees established this service to coordinate a variety of activities for the program. Part-time office support is provided to audit claims, assist the Board of Trustees with program-related activities, follow up on inquiries from employees, maintain cooperative financial records, analyze claims information and process paperwork involved with the worker’s compensation program. Member districts of the program participate in this service.

Medicaid Reimbursement

Under this program, BOCES assists component districts with increasing their Medicaid reimbursements and compliance with Medicaid reimbursement guidelines. This service maintains comprehensive records to justify Medicaid Reimbursement claims in the event of an audit, submits required claims for reimbursement and follows up inquiries received from Regional Information Center, State and Federal offices. The service provides in-service training to district contact personnel on an ongoing basis and works with district personnel in the development of effective internal data collection and record keeping procedures.

Safety & Risk Management

This BOCES service provides for the dissemination of information, monitoring of activities, training of staff and development of policies and procedures to make sure school districts comply with federal, state and local regulations, procedures and laws dealing with safety and risk management. The BOCES-coordinated Safety Advisory Council, consisting of district representatives, addresses such items as health and safety, asbestos, lead, toxic/hazardous materials, waste regulations, bloodborne pathogens and “Right to Know.” Some of the activities are: “Right to Know” laws training, transportation safety training, assistance in establishing record keeping systems, training and health hazard information; assistance with Disaster Preparedness Program, assistance with SAVE legislation compliance, liaison between districts and enforcement agencies; analysis of accident claims and assistance with required inspections.

Safety & Risk Management Technician

Under the supervision of the Director of Operations, this shared technical position is responsible for the planning, organizing, conducting, directing and enforcement of large-scale safety programs. The work is carried out following existing governmental regulations and by developing and implementing procedures, guidelines and policies. These technicians provide school districts with services that assist them in meeting the requirements of Federal and State health maintenance legislation and regulations and other related employee health and safety issues. Necessary inspections, i.e., asbestos, radon, air monitoring and routine industrial inspections are also provided.

School District Staff Contract Analysis

Under this CO-SER, the BOCES collects and analyzes employee contract and school district expenditure-related data for Dutchess County school districts. The Contract Analysis Report provides information on general provisions, salary schedules, fringe benefits and leaves. It also covers district staffing, student populations, tax rates, valuation, district wealth as well as expenditures per pupil. The Fact Sheet Report provides comparative financial data covering a period of at least five fiscal years. Currently this service is being provided through the administrative budget.

School Food Management

Under this program, BOCES hires shared cafeteria manager(s) who are directly involved in the management of individual district’s school cafeteria programs including the preparation and planning of menus, purchase of food and cafeteria supplies, hiring of staff and the preparation of reports.

Temporary Coaching Licenses

Under this CO-SER, the BOCES Personnel Office processes all applications for professional and temporary coaching licenses that were previously filed with and evaluated by the Office of Teaching in Albany. The application for either of these coaching licenses is submitted to the District Superintendent who acts as the agent for the Commissioner of Education. This process will continue to permit school districts to employ non-teacher coaches, in appropriate circumstances, and will streamline the annual reapplication process. It provides greater flexibility and expeditious approval of subsequent reapplications without the submission of repetitive paperwork.