Dutchess BOCES

Gia Morris and Mazzy Stark placed in the top 15% of over 12,000 received memoirs in the annual 100-Word Personal Narrative Contest for teenagers held by the “New York Times.”

New York State’s high school graduation requirements are changing and Dutchess BOCES is helping to spread the word about what’s happening and when by presenting NY Inspires to our component districts and our community.

Engaging stakeholders and supporting all students is something school districts strive for, and Dutchess BOCES brought about 50 educators from districts across Dutchess County together on Wednesday, March 19, to participate in the New York State Department of Education’s “Uplifting All Students” statewide conference. It was held concurrently at BOCES throughout the state.

Dutchess BOCES staff spent Friday learning new ways to help students succeed, grow their own job skills and move the agency forward.
Superintendent’s Conference Day brought staff together in large and small groups for workshops specific to their roles led by peers, administrators and specialists live and virtual.

On Wednesday, the Dutchess BOCES Board of Trustees approved hiring Lou Riolo, a retired PNW BOCES assistant superintendent, to be the agency’s interim deputy superintendent during the search process. Riolo has significant BOCES experience and joins the agency as it moves forward on its journey of innovation, growth, and partnership.

Six Resilience Academy students from the Community Service Outreach Club toured the Pleasant Valley Library March 7 with hopes of organizing the library in the school’s learning commons.
The club has many missions, one of them is to highlight areas around the school that it can help with, including rebranding the library. The club also visits Salt Point Center to read to students.

Dutchess BOCES' new district superintendent is no stranger to the agency. Dr. Jodi DeLucia has been the deputy superintendent since returning to the agency in 2021. With more than 20 years of school administrator experience and a deep knowledge of the agency, she plans to hit the ground at full speed.
The Board of Trustees appointed DeLucia unanimously during a special meeting on Wednesday, March 5, 2025. It takes effect on March 6.

Representatives from the Grace Smith House talked with Resilience Academy students March 4 about the signs and phases of an unhealthy relationship during a workshop titled “Love Shouldn’t Hurt.”

The Dutchess BOCES Board of Trustees is expected to appoint Deputy Superintendent Dr. Jodi DeLucia as the new district superintendent at a special meeting on Wednesday, March 5, 2025.

It is the sole purpose of the 6 p.m. meeting at the Dutchess BOCES Conference Center, 5 BOCES Road. The appointment will be effective March 6.

Dutchess BOCES is celebrating Black History Month by teaching students about the contributions African Americans have made to the world in a variety of areas.

After reading about wolves, some of Stephen Blair’s students were able to see some up close during a recent field trip to the Wolf Conservation Center in Salem, New York.

Click "Read more" to read more about our Polar Plunge 2025 team.

Dutchess County Sheriff’s Deputy Alexis Montanaro is feeling at home since becoming Dutchess BOCES’ School Resource Officer in December. This is her first SRO assignment.

“It’s very different than the normal patrol job,” she said. “You get to talk to people all day and try to make an impact on the students, give them outsider perspective to what their life may look like after high school.”

As the old saying goes, “Rome wasn’t built in a day,” and students from across Dutchess BOCES’ component districts are learning that creating solutions takes time, dedication and input from others as part of the Student Innovation Fellowship.

Dutchess BOCES’ Career and Technical Institute welcomed high school sophomores from Pine Plains and Webutuck Feb. 10 as CTI continues to offer tours to 10^th graders interested in learning a trade in their junior and senior years of high school.