Capital Region BOCES holds 2026 Annual Meeting

A woman speaks into a microphone at a podium — District Superintendent Lauren Gemmill speaks at the Annual Meeting.

Capital Region BOCES held its Annual Meeting and Dinner on Wednesday, April 15, at the Career and Technical Education Center, Albany Campus. Attended by the BOCES Board of Education, staff and component district school board members and leaders, the purpose of the meeting was to present the proposed administrative, capital and program budgets for the 2026-27 school year.

A student wearing a pink dress smiles, standing next to a teacher waring a blue shirt — Maywood Academy student Myroslava Chumakova recites the Pledge of Allegiance.

Board President Naomi Hoffman called the meeting to order, followed by the Pledge of Allegiance led by Maywood student Myroslava Chumakova. Board candidates, Catherine Lewis, Nancy del Prado, Naomi Hoffman and Sheila Fleet Kiehle, were introduced, each briefly speaking about their candidacy. Outgoing board member Jack Phelan was recognized for 32 years of service on the Capital Region BOCES board.

In her opening remarks, District Superintendent and Chief Executive Officer Lauren J. Gemmill welcomed attendees, emphasizing the importance of collaboration in delivery services to students and districts. She noted that meaningful progress is achieved collectively through combined resources, expertise and innovative thinking, a principle that is central to BOCES’ mission to support students, educators and our communities.

Reinforcing this notion, a video entitled “Leading Forward, Together,” was presented. Created by the BOCES Engagement & Development Services Division, the video highlights how, over the course of the school year, BOCES and its component districts have worked together to address shared challenges, embrace change and provide educational opportunities throughout the region.

A woman is speaking at a podium into a microphone in front of people seated at tables. Behind her are graphs and charts projected onto screens — Deputy District Superintendent Dr. Elizabeth Wood presents the 2026-27 proposed budget at the Annual Meeting.

Dr. Elizabeth Wood, Deputy District Superintendent and Chief Operating Officer, presented the proposed 2026–27 budget with an overview of the administrative, capital and program budgets. The presentation emphasized that BOCES services offer value, flexibility and cost savings for component districts, while maintaining high-quality programs and modern facilities.

Culinary students stand in a line with their teachers. The students are wearing traditional white culinary garb. — CTE Culinary students and their teachers are recognized at the Annual Meeting.

Following Dr. Wood’s budget presentation, attendees enjoyed a three-course meal prepared by students from the Culinary Arts and Hospitality Technology program at the Career and Technical Education Center, Albany Campus. On the menu was porcini arancini, beef braciole served with homemade cavatelli pasta and pistachio cheesecake. Students created every aspect of the meal with guidance from their teachers, chefs Emily Tice, Paul Dolan and teaching assistant Teresa Molineaux.

School boards to vote on Capital Region BOCES Administrative Budget

School board members from Capital Region BOCES component districts will vote Wednesday, April 29, on the proposed Capital Region BOCES administrative budget, which totals $16,094,723 and is 7.5 percent of the $215 million BOCES budget. The administrative budget encompasses retiree health insurance costs and operational expenses, including human resources, payroll, benefits, accounting and billing, and leadership support of those functions. It is the only part of the BOCES budget on which component school boards vote.