Dr. Jodi DeLucia shared her vision for how Dutchess BOCES can grow to more completely serve students Wednesday night. It’s a mission that can be achieved, she said, through partnership.
“Dutchess BOCES has embarked on this remarkable journey of innovation, partnership and growth. We’re adapting to meet the evolving needs of our students,” DeLucia explained. “As we move forward, I invite you all to move forward with us on this journey.”
DeLucia, named Dutchess BOCES district superintendent in March, spoke Wednesday at a meet and greet reception hosted at the campus conference center. The event was an opportunity for school and community stakeholders to hear DeLucia’s thoughts on the role Dutchess BOCES serves for students and its plans for meeting their evolving needs moving forward.
Attendees included BOCES Board of Trustees President Ralph Chiumento, Jr., and other board trustees; members of the Dutchess BOCES Education Foundation; Dutchess County Executive Sue Serino; board members and superintendents from partner school districts, local elected officials, business and county partners and other stakeholders. New York Assemblywoman Didi Barrett issued a citation recognizing DeLucia's new role and it was presented at the event by her special assistant Nick Becker.
Dozens of Dutchess BOCES team members also welcomed guests before listening to DeLucia’s message. Tables surrounded the conference room’s perimeter at which visitors could speak with representatives of each BOCES department and learn more about the services their department offers. Culinary students served a varied spread of foods, desserts and specialty drinks prepared by the agency’s food services team, and security and law students helped direct visitors outside the building.
DeLucia explained an aspect of Dutchess BOCES’ mission near to her own heart: “To provide opportunity for those who are often the furthest from it. I love the opportunity to work here at BOCES, to work with our programs and services, and believe deeply in collaborative partnerships that improve outcomes for that population of students.”
“Working here is my passion,” she shared. “I’m really excited you are all here tonight to see our vision for moving forward.”
The superintendent explained to the guests, “We’re in a transformative time in education,” requiring innovation and growth in response. For BOCES, that means reimagining how students learn and adapting to new technologies and teaching methods; meeting and exceeding industry standards in its Career and Technical Institute; and providing alternative pathways and trauma-informed environments to support all students. The ultimate goal is to ensure students are prepared to thrive in a rapidly evolving world.
However, she said, the agency cannot achieve these goals alone, especially as interest in Dutchess BOCES’ varied programs has soared in the last five years. The agency, she said, has had to turn students in need away from its assistance programs and is physically running out of space; the solution to aiding more students and continuing to grow lies in collaboration.
“We will actively engage community, industry and educational thought partners seeking input and collaboration,” DeLucia said. “I really hope that what you’re hearing is that we’re creating opportunities to bring more people to the table, but partnership works both ways.
So, we’re also increasing the pathways to representation across the county.”
“Our future focus is on the growth of our agency. We are proactively evolving our programs to address the changing needs of today's students and the needs of our component districts,” she said.
Red Hook Superintendent Dr. Janet Warden said Red Hook is among the districts that have seen increased interest in BOCES programs in recent years, noting the number of her students attending the Career and Technical Institute has grown from around 20 to 45 in the last few years.
“BOCES is on a journey to strengthen partnerships and collaboration,” she said. “We’re really excited as a district to be a part of that. Building programs and facilities are going to be beneficial to all students in our region.”
DeLucia said planning for how to expand facilities and resources has been an ongoing conversation with superintendents. “What does facilities for our next group of students look like and how can we all come together to plan for that?”
The need for physical expansion sparked curiosity for Jill Gomez, executive director of the Poughkeepsie Children’s Cabinet.
“Particularly around special education needs and career and technical education,” she said, “I was wondering if there was any possibility for investment in the north side community to bring those resources directly into Poughkeepsie.”
DeLucia shared Dutchess BOCES this June will begin to create a new strategic plan.
“Tonight is your invitation to join us on this journey. We need to be innovative and we need to meet the needs of the students in our care. Truly, together we can shape the future here in Dutchess County.”