CO-SERs 101:CO-SERs 101: An Introduction to An Introduction to

BOCES ServicesBOCES Services

April 2009April 2009April 2009April 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

What’s the legal basis for CO-SERs?

Education Law Section 1950, especially paragraph (4)Aidable services, prohibited services, cost

effectiveness, contracts Commissioner’s Regulations Part 112

Approval of BOCES-operated services, approval of unanticipated shared services, approval of BOCES-operatedservices other thanshared 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?

Service Categories 2006-2007 Expenditure

% of Service Expense

Occ. Education $318,193,844 13.98

Special Education 896,174,777 39.40

Itinerant Services 114,416,625 5.03

General Instruction 174,165,921 7.66

Instructional Support 367,689,240 16.16

Non-instruc. Support 404,112,401 17.77

7

How much does each CO-SER service category represent?

Occupational Ed.

Special Ed

Itinerants

General Instr.

Instr. Support

Non-instr.Support

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

Comptroller’s 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 education201 - 299 special education301 - 399 itinerant401 - 499 general education501 - 599 instructional support601 - 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?

InstructionalSpecial education,occupational education,

general education

Instructional supportCoordination or supervision, pupil services,

instructional resources, staff development, curriculum development

Non-instructionalNegotiations, 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 1General guidelines for CO-SER preparation

Handbook 3Administrative budget guidelines

Handbook 4Reporting 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 can’t 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 AidNo 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?

43.6

57.4

21.14

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

% aided

Administration

Capital

Service

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 there’s 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 doesn’t offer?

Cross-contracting, if the service is available and both DSs agreeUse 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. 1BOCES 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?

WhenWhenever 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

HowSend 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 11Report 11Useful to determine which BOCES is providing

a specific service

602 report602 reportFinancial and statistical comparative data

BOCES report cardBOCES report cardBOCES program data, regional assessment

results, budget data

Staff Development ReportStaff Development ReportDescribes 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 won’t 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: 518-474-6541

Fax: 518-474-1983Website: www.emsc.nysed.gov/mgtserv/BOCES/