In 1948, a New York State law called the Intermediate School District Act gave the go-ahead for certain small school districts to combine their purchasing power, thus forming the first BOCES. By sharing the costs of services and programs through the BOCES, the districts could now assure high quality programs for students while saving their taxpayers money.
School districts are not required to use any BOCES programs or services. They choose to purchase a BOCES service rather than providing it on their own when they believe that the cost and quality warrant it. (In this sense, a BOCES resembles a business more than a public school district, though the BOCES are not organized for profit.) If a member district determines that it can provide the service better and/or for less money on its own, the district is free to do so.
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