Board Update Fellow Board Members As you may be aware, our District Superintendent and CEO, Dr. Robert M. Dufour, has announced his intention to retire, effective December 31, 2025. As this will be our first leadership transition in many years, I believe it would be helpful to review the New York State Education Department’s process, which will guide us through the coming months. Linda Berkowicz, BOCES Board President
June 2025
When a District Superintendent Departs 1. Formal Acknowledgment of Retirement/Resignation Once the District Superintendent (DS) submits a formal letter of retirement or resignation, NYSED prepares and sends an official acknowledgment letter from the Commissioner. 2. Status Tracking and Initial Planning NYSED updates its internal tracking systems and begins discussions to assess whether an Interim DS is necessary. In some cases, the outgoing DS may remain in place through the transition period, which can eliminate the need for an interim appointment. 3. Outreach to Component Districts and Neighboring BOCES NYSED contacts the superintendents of component school districts and neighboring BOCES to determine whether any changes to the supervisory district’s configuration are warranted. These communications are commonly referred to as "option letters." 4. Data Collection from the Outgoing DS The outgoing DS is asked to provide data that informs the development of a survey, which will gather input from stakeholders on the future leadership needs of the district. 5. Survey Preparation and Approval NYSED uses the collected feedback to create a comprehensive survey regarding the future leadership needs of the supervisory district. This draft is reviewed and approved internally before distribution. 6. Authorization to Begin the Search Process Following the survey’s review and approval, NYSED sends a formal letter to the BOCES Board President authorizing the commencement of the search process. The Board may not begin the search until this letter is received. 7. Appointment of Interim or Assistance with Search If necessary, NYSED may assign a current DS from another BOCES to serve in an interim capacity or to assist with the search. Formal notifications are sent to all relevant parties, including the board presidents of both BOCES and the interim DS. 8. Submission of Final Candidate(s) to NYSED Once the search is complete, the Board submits the selected candidate(s) to the Commissioner for review and approval. Continued on next page
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