Relates to streamlining planning and reporting requirements for school districts and boards of cooperative educational services

Section 2 of the bill would amend Education Law § 1950(4)(b)(5) to eliminate an outdated requirement for BOCES to separate its program, capital and administrative costs for the 1994-1995 school year budget.

Section 3 of the bill would amend Education Law § 1950(4)(c) to continue the requirement that BOCES prepare long range program plans. including special education and career education plans, but removes the required submission to the State Department of Education. Instead the bill would require the plan to be on file and available for public inspection and review by the Commissioner. This section would eliminate the requirement that BOCES submit sections of the plan pertaining to special education and career education programs every two years provided that such plans may be incorporated into a BOCES district-wide comprehensive plan.

Section 4 of the bill would amend Education Law § 1950(4)(kk) concerning the BOCES report card. The amendment would delete reference to including in the report card specific information included in the Regents annual report to the Governor and the Legislature pursuant to Education Law § 215-a. The Commissioner would continue to have the responsibility to provide certain information needed to ensure the accountability of BOCES pursuant to Education Law § 215-b.

Section 5 of the bill would amend Education Law § 3602 (11) (f) to require school districts and BOCES to eliminate the requirement to submit a plan of service and evaluation for approval of the Commissioner, in order to receive aid for Employment Preparation programs. The amendment would continue to require submission of an annual application for the payment of aid, to be approved by the Commissioner.

Section 6 of the bill would amend Education Law § 3602(8) (b) to fully eliminate the requirement that school districts submit to the Commissioner plans of service for three categorical aid programs and to replace such requirement with a requirement that the district plans of service be kept on file and available for public inspection.

Section 7 of the bill would provide that the bill would take effect immediately.

Statement in support

To reduce the paperwork burden on school districts and BOCES, this bill would eliminate or streamline various specific reporting requirements currently imposed by statute. Particularly, the bill would eliminate or streamline a series of reporting requirements currently imposed on BOCES. BOCES reporting requirements often require data from component districts that is a burden on school districts to compile and on BOCES to coordinate and report so streamlining them would have a dual benefit.

The bill would: (1) eliminate the requirement that BOCES submit their long range plans, including special education and career education plans, to the Commissioner; (2) make it permissive, rather than mandatory, for the Commissioner to conduct a survey of the need for reorganization of a BOCES when there is a vacancy in the position of district superintendent of schools; (3) delete reference to including in the report card specific information included in the Regents annual report to the Governor and Legislature; and (4) eliminate certain obsolete provisions relating to BOCES planning and reporting.

The bill would provide direct relief to school districts by eliminating required plans of service for Employment Preparation Education programs and eliminating the requirement that school districts submit plans of service to the Commissioner for certain categorical programs, but still require that they be on file and be available for public inspection.

Budget implications

The bill will create no additional cost to the state or school districts. It will produce savings in staff time, printing and mailing at the state and local levels for preparing and reviewing separate and, in many instances, duplicative information requirements. The exact amount of the savings is difficult to estimate as the time required to comply varies widely among school districts.

Effective date

The bill would take effect immediately; however, the Commissioner will be required to promulgate any rules or regulations needed to implement the provisions of this act on or before July 1, 2010.