CO-SERs%20101:%20An%20Introduction%20to%20BOCES%20Services

1
CO-SERs 101 An Introduction to BOCES Services

• April 2009

2
What is a CO-SER?

• A CO-SER is an approved cooperative agreement to
  establish a shared service for one year between a
  BOCES and two or more districts. Services are
  provided at the request of component districts to
  respond to an established need, and must be
  shared. Services should be cost-efficient and
  effective. Not all BOCES services generate aid
  however, all General Fund services must have an
  approved CO-SER.

3
Why do we have shared services?

• Districts lack sufficient numbers of students
• Program requires specialized equipment,
  facilities or staff
• More cost-effective to share through BOCES
• BOCES can provide more or better opportunities
  for students

4
Whats the legal basis for CO-SERs?

• Education Law Section 1950, especially paragraph
  (4)
• Aidable services, prohibited services, cost
  effectiveness, contracts
• Commissioners Regulations Part 112
• Approval of BOCES-operated services, approval of
  unanticipated shared services, approval of
  BOCES-operated
• services other than
• shared services

5
What are the two major components of a CO-SER?

• Program Description Needs, Planning, Goals,
  Evaluation, Staffing, Fiscal Data
• Budget Description Cover Page, Cost and Program
  Data, Transfers, Sharing/Revenues
• Note With the implementation of the new State
  Aid Management System (SAMS) for BOCES in 2009,
  the means by which this information and data is
  submitted to SED will change.

6
What kinds of CO-SERs are there?
7
How much does each CO-SER service category
represent?
8
How many services are there?

• About 200 different services about 5,000 total
  CO-SERs across the 37 BOCES
• Some services operate in all BOCES, e.g.,
  occupational education
• Few BOCES have other services, e.g., junior ROTC

9
What are the Criteria-Guidelines?

• Criteria-Guidelines represent the array of
  services BOCES are approved by the Commissioner
  to operate. BOCES Administrative Handbook 2
  contains the criteria guidelines for each
  service. They provide information on how to
  operate a service including the kind of students
  served, the nature of the service, standards for
  approval (general and specific issues),
• aid constraints, etc.

10
Where is Handbook 2?

• It may be found on the SED website at
• http//www.emsc.nysed.gov/mgtserv/BOCES/boces-
  handbooks.shtml

11
How are CO-SERs classified?

• Activity Code
• 4 digit activity code based on the State
  Comptrollers Uniform System of Accounts code,
  e.g.,
• 5230, advanced mathematics
• Program Serial Number (PSN)
• 3 digits BOCES assigns a number from a
  prescribed range

12
What are the program serial number ranges of
CO-SERs?

• 101 - 199 occupational education
• 201 - 299 special education
• 301 - 399 itinerant
• 401 - 499 general education
• 501 - 599 instructional support
• 601 - 699 non-instructional support
• (Program and data descriptions must be submitted
  to SED for these - Occ. Ed. and itinerants are
  exceptions)

13
How are CO-SERs indexed?

• Most CO-SERs have a Criteria- Guideline, which
  is the minimum standard. These
  Criteria-Guidelines are enumerated in Handbook 2,
  indexed according to
• Class/division
• Numeric
• Alphabetic

14
What are the classes/divisions of CO-SERs?

• Instructional
• Special education,occupational education,
  general education
• Instructional support
• Coordination or supervision, pupil services,
  instructional resources, staff development,
  curriculum development
• Non-instructional
• Negotiations, business office, transportation,
  information, facilities, planning, school lunch

15
What are the special CO-SER numbers?

• 001 Administrative budget
• 002 Capital expenses
• 701 Operation and maintenance
• 702-799 Internal transfers
• 801-999 Special aid projects

16
What other guidelines are available?

• Handbook 1
• General guidelines for CO-SER preparation
• Handbook 3
• Administrative budget guidelines
• Handbook 4
• Reporting requirements for programs facilities
• Handbook 5
• Operating procedures and policies

17
How does an idea becomea CO-SER?

• A proposal may be submitted to SED for
  consideration at any time.
• New programs and services cannot begin until
  approved.
• Requests are submitted to BOCES Unit use
  Attachment B.

18
Who may be served by CO-SERs?

• Component districts
• Non-component districts, except the Big 5
• Districts outside the supervisory district,
  through cross-contracts, with permission from
  both District Superintendents
• Non-public schools - for data processing and
  instructional support services
• Charter schools - occupational education and data
  processing only

19
Can a BOCES serve a Big 5 school district?

• Only the following
• Syracuse can participate with Onondaga BOCES in a
  shared program and/or facility for special
  education (E.L. 1950, sub. 8-a)
• Big 5 can purchase student information system
  services (E.L. 1950, sub. 8-b)
• Big 5 can purchase instructional support services
  (staff and curriculum development only) (E.L.
  1950, sub. 8-c)

20
Can a BOCES serve other entities?

• The answer is No, unless specifically
  authorized in law.
• For example, BOCES may not serve
• out-of-state districts
• town governments

21
What are the exceptions to the prohibitions on
providing service?

• BOCES may serve
• Non-public schools for instructional support
  services only
• Public agencies (U.S.government, NY State, public
  school districts, community colleges) - for
  occupational education and data processing only
• Not-for-profits, to participate in federal career
  training programs only

22
With whom may a BOCES contract?

• To support district programs, BOCES may contract
  with
• The United States of America
• New York State
• Public school districts
• Community college, ag tech colleges
• Other public agencies
• Independent private colleges
• Arts providers
• Environmental education providers

23
What services cant be offered as a CO-SER?

• Some health services
• Administrative staff (except shared business
  manager)
• Day care for the public
• Services to out-of-state districts
• Legal services
• Skywriting

24
How are CO-SERs related to aid?

• All CO-SERs must be approved, but
• Not all CO-SERs/services are aided, e.g.,
• No aid for special education co-sers - districts
  get Excess Cost Aid
• No aid for municipal services
• Expenses within CO-SERs may not be aided

25
What services are not aided?

• Adult education services (including EPE)
• Special education services
• Health services to non-public school students
• Municipal services
• Prekindergarten
• Transportation
• Funded from other sources

26
What elements of a CO-SER are not aided (part 1)?

• Salaries over 30,000
• Share of service (person for itinerants) greater
  than 60 can share with BOCES, but cannot be
  employed by both BOCES and district
• Unshared activities (must be shared either
  together or sequentially), except arts in
  education
• Participation of districts that are
  non-components of any BOCES

27
What elements of a CO-SER are not aided (part 2)?

• Student transportation
• Adults in secondary occupational education
  programs
• Textbooks as part of a textbook service
• Special items in specific CO-SERs, e.g., no
  equipment in Model Schools
• Materials that become district property, e.g.,
  consumables

28
What about revenues received as part of a CO-SER?

• In occupational education programs, recoveries
  are allowed where real life experiences are
  valuable as part of the instructional program,
  e.g., constructing a building, but must be
  deducted.
• All other revenues except component revenues are
  deducted, e.g., grant funds.

29
What CO-SER elements need to be specifically
justified?

• Consultants (only short-term, when qualified
  staff unavailable)
• Travel outside the BOCES region
• Third party vendors
• Contracts
• Equipment

30
What portion of CO-SERs are aided through BOCES
aid?

• 2006-2007 statewide expenses

31
Why are expense and aid so different?

• Some expenses are aided elsewhere, e.g.,
  transportation, special education
• Expenses funded by other revenues must be
  deducted, e.g., federal grant money
• Excess salaries
• Refunds from prior years
• Unapproved services
• Tuition received from individuals deducted
• Unaidable CO-SERs, unaidable expenses
• Sharing formula (millage, aid ratio, save
  harmless)

32
How do BOCES charge for services?

• As three-quarters of participating boards agree
• Percentage
• RWADA
• Combined
• Per pupil or unit
• FTE pooled rate - must be used for itinerants
  (combines salaries)

33
What if theres money unspent at the end of the
year?

• Refunds must be returned to the districts
  annually
• Returned based on participation, to components
  and other participating districts

34
What if a district wants a service that BOCES
doesnt offer?

• Cross-contracting, if the service is available
  and both DSs agree
• Use universal cross-contract form - first signed
  by school superintendent, then home district
  superintendent, then providing district
  superintendent
• District can purchase from a vendor
• District can provide it themselves

35
What is the annual CO-SER cycle?

• Dec. 15 BOCES receives PAD (current year
  inflation)
• Feb. 1 BOCES submits PAD to SED
• Oct. 1 Q amendments for prior year services
  to match SA-111
• June 15 A amendments for current year
  services to match SBM-4
• PAD preliminary approval document
• NOTE With the implementation of the new State
  Aid Management System (SAMS) for BOCES in 2009,
  there will be changes to this process (see later
  slides for more details)

36
When and how should CO-SERs be amended?

• When
• Whenever the scope or activities change, e.g.,
  addition of fingerprinting to the safety/risk
  management, addition of a grade to alternative
  education, or a major change in sharing
• How
• Send a revised Attachment B to SED, found at
• http//www.emsc.nysed.gov/mgtserv/BOCES/bocesaid
  .shtml

37
What are some specific CO-SERs (part 1)?

• 6211 School/Curriculum Improvement
• Supports staff/curriculum development network

• 6368
• Model Schools
• Supports model schools network
• 7470
• Safety/Risk Management
• Supports establishment of school district health,
  safety and risk management programs

38
What information about CO-SERs is readily
available?

• Report 11
• Useful to determine which BOCES is providing a
  specific service
• 602 report
• Financial and statistical comparative data
• BOCES report card
• BOCES program data, regional assessment results,
  budget data
• Staff Development Report
• Describes CO-SERs 6211, 6261, 6262, 6368

39
What recent changes have been made to CO-SERs?

• Three new Criteria-Guidelines created
• 6161 Coordination, Additional
• 7211 GASB 45 Planning Evaluation
• 7471 Fingerprinting
• New Criteria-Guideline Numbers established for
  Occ. Ed. for use in new State Aid Management
  System (SAMS) for BOCES.

40
What is SAMS?

• SAMS stands for the State Aid Management System.
• An integrated Web-based data management and
  communication system for use by NYSED, public
  School Districts and the BOCES.
• It will become the means by which BOCES will
  submit financial data, as well as, submit, amend
  and review CO-SER data.
• It will be the interactive means by which the
  BOCES and State Education Department will work
  together on CO-SERs.

41
How will using SAMS be different from what is
done now?

• Currently, all CO-SER submissions and amendments
  are done via paper. With SAMS, these processes
  will happen electronically.
• The actual transmission of a CO-SER will happen
  much more quickly.
• What wont be different is the Office of
  Educational Management Services personal
  interaction with the BOCES.

42
How will the conversion to SAMS work?

• Starting in the spring of 2009, BOCES will begin
  to submit data and information to SED via both
  the current methods and SAMS (where appropriate).
  Some data will only be submitted via the current
  method.
• At a future date, SAMS will become the sole means
  by which BOCES will submit certain data and
  information.

43
What do we need to remember?

• Legal
• Appropriate
• Shared
• Timely
• Amend whenever there are changes
• Requested and planned by component districts

44
Where to Find More Information About CO-SERs

• NYSED Office of Educational Management Services
• Phone [phone]
• Fax [phone]
• Website www.emsc.nysed.gov/mgtser
  v/BOCES/