Region V BOCES seeks .2 mill levy from SCSD No.2

By DAVID MARTIN

Publisher

Region V Board of Cooperative Educational Services, which services several school districts including Sweetwater County School District No. 2, seeks a .2 mill levy from the district to help fund its work.

Representatives of the organization spoke to school board members Tuesday night about the services they provide the district and the mill levy they seek, which amounts to $185,895.

Region V BOCES provides services to students with emotional, social and behavioral needs that can’t be met in regular school settings. It operates four campuses, including the Roosevelt Learning Center at the Jackson Elementary School building in Green River, as well as the C-V Ranch in Wilson. 

Aaron Carr, director of RLC, said the campus has 14 students, six of which are from SCSD No. 2 and may receive another student from the district after spring break. Carr said the small class size at RLC allows the staff to be inventive when working with students.

“The low student-to-staff ratio allows us to think outside the box,” Carr said.

Dan Mayer, executive director of Region V BOCES, said he wants to grow the organization to offer additional services to school districts. He said it offers two clinical psychologists and four school psychologists on a contract basis and is working with SCSD No. 2 to find a solution to its vacant speech language pathologist position.

With its funding, Mayer said 87 percent comes from the billable services the organization provides, 11 percent comes from mill levies provided by member school districts and the last 1 percent comes from federal grants.

The mill levy finding it does receive is used in Region V BOCES’ operational and major maintenance budgets. Many of the fiscal year 2019 projects outlined in Mayer’s presentation involve the C-V Ranch, but also include vehicle replacement, IT infrastructure upgrades and equipment replacement.

The school board did not vote to approve the request at its meeting.