Rockland BOCES To Hold Countywide Vote On Expansion Needs

ROCKLAND COUNTY, NY — Rockland BOCES will ask voters in March to approve expansion to support current and future growth of its Career and Technical Education and STEM programs.

The $47.9 million project will cover the construction of a new, 52,000 square foot, two-story building on the BOCES campus in West Nyack and additional classroom space in the Jesse J. Kaplan School for students with exceptional needs.

"Simply put, Rockland BOCES is running out of space," said Rockland BOCES District Superintendent Christopher D'Ambrese. "There are student waiting lists today and enrollment in our programs is expected to increase nearly 20% in the next decade."

Rockland BOCES is one of 37 Boards of Cooperative Educational Services across New York State which cover a combined total of 721 public school districts. Locally, Rockland BOCES serves about 38,000 students from eight school districts: Clarkstown, Nanuet, North Rockland, Nyack, Pearl River, Ramapo, South Orangetown and Suffern.

The Rockland BOCES Board of Education seeks authorization from the voters for:

• The addition of four, large classrooms in the Jesse J. Kaplan School following relocation of the existing Culinary Arts facility
• One commercial and one standard kitchen for the Career and Technical Education Center (CTEC) Culinary Arts program
• Two specialized Culinary Arts classrooms
• 15 STEM classrooms (11,300 square feet) for continued growth of Hudson Valley P-TECH (Early College High School)
• Cafeteria: approximately 5,000 square feet with storage area for tables and chairs
• A regulation-size gymnasium/basketball court and fitness area

The construction would be financed by the Dormitory Authority of the State of New York and would be offset by a portion of Rockland BOCES' current capital budget.

The $47.9 million project cost, which would be paid over a 25-year period, will be shared by the eight component districts that make up the Rockland BOCES Supervisory District. Each school district’s share of the cost is determined by the number of students that reside in that particular district compared to the other component school districts. This is referred to as Resident Weighted Average Daily Attendance.

A significant portion of the project — 50-70 percent — will qualify for State Aid at the local school district’s aid ratio.

The average cost to a Rockland County residential property per month would be $2.36, based on an average property assessment of $500,000.

Rockland BOCES currently spends more than $1.5 million annually on leases for rented classroom space in four locations: the former Tappan Zee Elementary School in Piermont, the former Gerald F. Neary Elementary School in Haverstraw and the former Hilltop School and the former Nyack High School in Nyack.

"Enrollment in our Special Education, Career and Technical Education (CTE) and Early College High School (P-TECH) programs continues to soar," D'Ambrese said. "In order to meet the increasing needs of our local school districts, we must expand."

Adding learning space to the West Nyack campus will eliminate leasing costs, help to consolidate programming and staff, reduce transportation costs and build equity and long-term wealth for the agency.

If approved, construction would start in spring 2026, after the state Education Department approves the plans, and would be completed in phases with an expected opening in the Fall of 2027. KSQ Design has been contracted by Rockland BOCES to oversee design and construction of the capital project.

The Rockland BOCES Board of Education unanimously approved the “Building For Excellence” project in November. Because it involves a new structure on the agency’s main campus, it is required that the community approve the project via a referendum.

The vote will be held from 12-8 p.m. March 6 at the Rockland BOCES Jesse J. Kaplan School, 65 Parrott Road, West Nyack, New York 10994.

Anyone 18 or older who is a United States citizen living in Rockland County for at least 30 days preceding the vote date is eligible to vote.

Voters who wish to vote by absentee ballot because of disability, illness or travel must first request a ballot application. To request an absentee ballot application, contact the Rockland BOCES District Clerk at (845) 627-4702 or via email at esussman@rboces.org by February 28, 2024. Once your application is received, an absentee ballot will be mailed to you. Completed absentee ballots must be returned to Rockland BOCES District Clerk by March 6 at 5 p.m.

For additional information about the March 6 “Building For Excellence” capital project referendum, visit rocklandboces.org.

About Rockland BOCES

For more than 60 years, Rockland BOCES has delivered educational programs for students with exceptional needs, teens interested in career and technical training and educators seeking to upgrade their professional skills. We also strive to enhance the lives of Rockland County residents by providing adult education offerings, including High School Equivalency (GED®), continuing education and enrichment classes and adult literacy services. Our mission is to provide high-quality shared educational, administrative and technical services that enable local school districts to develop the capacity in their students to achieve higher standards of performance.