Relates to certain lease terms for BOCES properties

Showing the cosponsors who are on Agora, A to Z. The official record may list more.

• Democratic1

Shown in neutral colors by design; Agora is non-partisan.

◆ The sponsor's argument

Why Shelley Mayer says this is needed

Boards of Cooperative Education Services (BOCES) provide shared educa- tional programming and services to their component districts around the state, allowing districts to offer students programs they might not otherwise be able to by working collaboratively. Many BOCES lease land or buildings for programmatic and administrative use. For many districts, leasing is more achievable than purchasing land because BOCES are financially dependent on their component districts and in many cases, serve a large geographic area. In some areas of the state, there is plenty of available privately owned space, giving districts a plethora of options to choose from. In other areas, private space is in short supply and cost prohibitive, and BOCES are forced to look for public space to lease. Under current law, BOCES may lease real property from private entities for up to 20 years, but for only 10 years from public entities. Longer leases allow districts to amortize any needed upgrades or improvements over a longer period of time. Shorter leases tend to be riskier because the lessor may be less likely to agree to allow modifications to a space, and BOCES have to distribute the costs to districts over a short period of time. This bill would create parity between public and private leases, allowing BOCES to lease for up to 20 years in both cases, giving BOCES more flexibility in identifying space.

This is the sponsor's own case for the bill, quoted from their memorandum. It is not Agora's description of what the bill does.