PORT EWEN >> Ulster BOCES has gotten unanimous approval from the boards of education in its eight member school districts for a $2.98 million administrative budget for 2015-16.
The spending plan is $616,627, or 26.1 percent, larger than the 2014-15 administrative budget
The administrative budget is part of BOCES’ overall $51.5 million budget for 2015-16. That package is about 16.2 percent smaller than its 2014-15 counterpart. Boards in BOCES’ member districts vote only on the administrative portion of the budget.
BOCES officials say the proposed increase in the administrative budget is the result of a state Education Department mandate that benefits for retirees be shifted from sections of the budget that were billed to individual districts.
The proposed overall 2015-16 budget for the Ulster Board of Cooperative Educational Services includes:
* $15.1 million for career and technical education, down 4.2 percent from 2014-15.
* $9.6 million for special education, down 9 percent.
* $4.1 million for education technology, down 37 percent.
* $2.3 million for professional development, down 32.3 percent.
* $1.3 million for management services, down 21.8 percent.
* $950,000 for alternative education, down 29 percent.
The district school boards also elected five people to the BOCES board. Elected to three-year terms were Susan Gilmore of the Highland school district, Robert Curran of the Onteora school district, Vincent Petroccelli of the Wallkill school district and James Shaughnessy of the Kingston school district. Elected to a two-year term was Karen Osterhoudt of the Ellenville school district.
