About Western Suffolk BOCES

Western Suffolk BOCES, a regional educational service agency, will provide quality, efficient, shared programs and services to school districts, their students, parents and communities. Our mission is to expand educational opportunities and alternatives enabling learners to achieve their potential.

Special Education
Upon request of the local Committees on Special Education, BOCES provides highly individualized educational programs to meet the unique needs of children, ages 5 to 21, who have disabilities that typically require more intensive service than can be delivered within the local school district. Non-disabled students who require specialized services also attend programs within Special Education.

Approximately 1100 students attend BOCES centers or classes in participating school districts. BOCES itinerant teachers provide diagnostic and support services to another 450 students in their local school districts. Youngsters with disabilities including autism, mental retardation, physical or sensory impairments or some combination of these disabilities receive group instruction that emphasizes developing skills for daily living, functioning academic skills and enhancing each student's communication and social interaction.

BOCES alternative programs provide a nurturing environment with appropriate support services. Our instructional programs are individualized and provide a full array of special and related services as well as academic instruction similar to that available in local school districts. Classes are highly structured to facilitate behavorial changes that may help the student return to general education.

Career & Technical Education
This division meets the needs for the career and technical training of more than 16,000 secondary school students, out-of-school youth and adults, and disabled students at the five campuses of Wilson Technological Center. Tech offers 31 programs for high school students and more than 400 courses, including 39 certificates and licenses as well as on-line instruction, for adults.

Instructional Support Services
This division offers a variety of instructional support, planning, and technology services that take advantage of experienced instructional staff and educators knowledgeable about technological advances.

Other Services
BOCES also offers many administrative and management services to help school districts meet the needs of their students, staff and communities. BOCES can provide these services more economically and efficiently than one district alone can provide.

Western Suffolk BOCES is financially supported by its 18 participating school districts as well as state and federal grants. Every April, the 18 participating Boards of Education vote on the BOCES Administrative Budget. The costs associated with the BOCES Administrative Budget and the Capital Budget are borne by the 18 participating school districts based on a three-year weighted average daily attendance rate.

School districts that request Western Suffolk BOCES services pay a prorated service fee or tuition as itemized in a shared-services contract. School districts receive state aid on many services based on the previous year's audited expenses of BOCES programs and services. The wealth of each component district, its aid ratio and the cost of Western Suffolk BOCES services determine how much aid participating districts receive. Local districts receive their state aid for the BOCES programs and services they used in the year following the district's expenditures.

Shared Services Guide

For descriptions of all programs and services offered through Western Suffolk BOCES, browse through our Shared Services Guides

BOCES Report Card

Read the statistics on the programs of Western Suffolk BOCES.

Report Card 2007-08:

HTML version PDF version Word version

Report Card 2006-07:

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Edward J. Zero, the District Superintendent of Eastern Suffolk BOCES, is the Interim District Superintendent for Western Suffolk BOCES. He was appointed to this interim position by the NYS Commissioner of Education.

The Chief Executive Officer and District Superintendent is a salaried educator serving both the State Education Department and the Board of Cooperative Educational Services.

As the regional representative of the Commissioner of Education, the District Superintendent is often called upon to assist in the implementation of NYS Education Law and interpretation of the Regulations of the Commissioner and the rules of the Board of Regents. The District Superintendent has responsiblility for providing support and direction for local implementation of statewide school improvement initiatives. The Commissioner of Education may also designate the District Superintendent to represent SED on special assignments.

In the capacity of Chief Executive Officer, the responsibilities include planning, administering, supervising and evaluating regional education programs and support services which are provided at the request of the component school districts.

The Chief Operating Officer and Deputy Superintendent is responsible for planning, administering, supervising and evaluating the education programs and support services of the BOCES. The Administrative Council, consisting of the Chief Financial Officer, the Assistant for Personnel and Instruction, the Executive Director of Special Education, the Executive Director of Career and Technical Education, the Director of Instructional Support Services and Administrative Assistant (Public Information), report directly to Dr. Mensch.

To insure that BOCES programs and services meet the needs of local school districts, Dr. Mensch meets monthly with the Superintendents of the 18 component school districts.

The Board of Western Suffolk BOCES appointed Dr. Mensch to this position effective Jan. 1, 2006. As the Chief Operating Officer, he prepares the agendas and organizes the meetings of the Board of Western Suffolk BOCES.

Western Suffolk BOCES has an elected Board of seven representatives who are elected for three-year terms. By law, Board members must reside in the 18 districts that comprise the supervisory district. Board members are responsible for policy governing the programs and services offered by the agency.

Board Member	Home School District	Term of Office

Peter Wunsch, President	Commack	2008-2011
Mildred Browne, Vice President	Copiague	2007-2010
Sydney Finkelstein	Elwood	2006-2009
Ilene Herz, Esquire	Half Hollow Hills	2007-2010
Salvatore Marinello	West Babylon	2006-2009
Jeannette Santos	Amityville	2008-2011
Maryann Zumpano	Smithtown	2007-2010
Joan Johnson District Clerk	631/549-4900, ext. 222

Administrators and Supervisors (FTE)	61
Teaching Staff (FTE)	355
Teaching Assistants (FTE)	8
Clerical (FTE)	106
Aides (FTE)	396
Physical/ Occupational Therapists & Nurses (FTE)	45
Adult Intstructors (part-time)	169
Food Services Staff (part-time)	20
Technical Staff (FTE)	8
Custodial/ Maintenance (FTE)	62
Other	25

Students are from these Districts	Secondary Career & Tech Ed.	General Career & Tech Ed.	Alternative & Coop Programs	Special Education

Amityville	80	31	2	79
Babylon	31	6	4	17
Cold Spring Harbor	0	3	0	1
Commack	49	36	55	57
Copiague	193	53	93	159
Deer Park	64	20	6	55
Elwood	20	20	10	11
Half Hollow Hills	52	65	4	48
Harborfields	29	21	2	24
Huntington	78	41	39	46
Kings Park	54	4	3	25
Lindenhurst	123	31	0	51
North Babylon	76	74	0	127
Northport	36	32	2	59
Smithtown	69	41	7	61
South Huntington	66	51	8	52
West Babylon	101	17	12	39
Wyandanch	49	23	12	91
Western Suffolk Boces		94
Other BOCES	3	2	0	94
TOTAL	1173	665	259	1096