School board questions equity of BOCES lottery system

The Monroe-Woodbury Central School District Board of Education reviewed the Orange-Ulster BOCES “Continuing Education” opportunities at their October 9 meeting and discussed the need for making the program more accessible and equitable, and for better marketing of its benefits to families.

Dr. Eric Hassler, assistant superintendent for Curriculum and Instruction, provided an overview of the OUBOCES program, explaining that selected students participate in career training in such areas as cosmetology, electrical work, and healthcare. Hassler shared that a completed CTE course could be used as part of an alternative pathway toward receiving a New York State high school diploma, which also requires students to complete their necessary coursework and pass four Regents exams. He noted that the state is reviewing its graduation requirements, but said CTE will remain an option for students.

“These programs are very sought after because the mission of the school district is college and career readiness. It’s not necessarily an automatic that we are preparing our kids to go straight to college,” Hassler said, commenting on the growing demand for CTE opportunities. “Many of our kids, they’re young entrepreneurs and they’re looking to jump right into the workplace and these programs give them many different skills and oftentimes certifications.”

Hassler explained that students are informed about CTE opportunities with OUBOCES through in-class presentation to current sophomores. He said interested students must attend a formal campus visit, usually held in January, which is a chance to see the program in action. Those who attend that visit must then submit a Google form confirming or declining to participate in the OUBOCES CTE program. Hassler said that applicants are reviewed, and acceptance/denial letters are emailed to parents, with accepted students notified in the spring.

Board members voiced their concerns over the selection process, which, Hassler explained, was done via a lottery system that pulls from all interested students in the OUBOCES school districts. The board questioned the equity of a system that gives equal weight to all interested students, despite Monroe-Woodbury being much larger than other school districts. Hassler confirmed that, in theory, Monroe-Woodbury could send in five names, and another district could send in five names, and none of the M-W students be selected. He also noted that the lottery process was new, and the original process involved rolling admissions, which made it more disproportionate. He shared that if another district sent their names in ahead of theirs, they would be chosen first, even if that district was half the size of Monroe-Woodbury.

Hassler also clarified that the available seats are not category specific, so when students are selected, they then are placed in programs based on availability and put on a waiting list if all of their choices are full. He explained that students have until September 30 to attend the program and determine whether they want to continue. If they decide to withdraw by that date, there is no penalty on the school district, and the spot can be filled by another student on the waiting list. However, Hassler noted, once that September deadline passes, that spot cannot be filled by another student, even if the original holder decides they are no longer interested. Furthermore, the district still has to pay for that student’s participation in the program, which he explained was a BOCES policy. One board member questioned this policy, saying that situations happen and wondering why it can’t be passed on to the next person on the wait list.

Hassler expressed his hope that adding more seats to the program would impact the selection process and that the overflow could be better accommodated, with the possibility of directing students to a different institution. The board discussed the idea of working with other districts with robust CTE programs to provide opportunities for their students.

Programming costs was another issue raised by the board, which worried that additional expenses not covered by the district might be a burden for some families. Hassler shared that program costs are provided online. Susan Alicea, Monroe-Woodbury High School guidance chair, who joined Hassler for the presentation, added that programming costs are discussed during their visit and that BOCES does have some additional resources to support students and will also reach out to the school to see if there are other ways to support them.

The board agreed that the OUBOCES CTE program provided wonderful opportunities and discussed how to better market its benefits to students and families, noting that some who complete the program go on to lucrative careers. Hassler said that this could include conducting a student interest survey to ensure that opportunities are aligning with student needs and interests.