New York State Education Department Assistant Commissioner for District Organization and District Superintendents County District
Administration and Supervision Files
Some content may contain outdated and offensive terminology. See: New York State Archives Statement on Language in Descriptive Resources
Overview of the Records
Repository:
New York State Archives
New York State Education Department
Cultural Education Center
Albany, NY 12230
Summary:
"County files" were created by the assistant commissioner responsible for supervising district superintendents of schools
and boards of cooperative educational services (BOCES). Files for district superintendents contain correspondence and memoranda
concerning school district organization plans and proposals and building aid requested by schools recommended for reorganization.
Information is available on school programs, facilities, local support for, and opposition to reorganization. Files for BOCES
contain correspondence and reports concerning BOCES facilities and operations.
Creator:
Title:
County district administration and supervision files
Quantity:
Inclusive Dates:
1958-1981
Series Number:
B0482
Sponsor:
This series' description was enhanced as part of the States' Impact on Federal Education Policy Project (SIFEPP), in May 2010.
The New York Community Trust - Wallace Special Projects Fund provided funding for this project.
Arrangement
Initially arranged alphabetically by county, thereafter arranged alphabetically by surname of district superintendent.
Administrative History
During the 1930's, educators envisioned a comprehensive high school that would educate all children for work and life in a
democracy. However, most central schools were not big enough to offer a full array of academic and vocational courses. In
1944, a Council on Rural Education, funded by farm organizations, recommended a "new type of rural supervisory district,"
responsible to school districts and responsive to needs of rural people. The result was the intermediate district law of 1948.
While the intermediate districts were to be formed, the act provided for temporary boards of cooperative educational services
(now called BOCES), which the New York State Education Department (NYSED) hoped would "get people working together across
district lines" and provide shared educational services in rural areas. The intermediate districts never came into existence,
but the BOCES proved to be popular with rural school districts and the general public, since they provided a wide range of
educational services at reasonable cost, while maintaining a significant degree of local control over the programs offered
by the BOCES. Today there are 37 BOCES, incorporating all school districts except for those in the "Big 5" cities (New York,
Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse and Yonkers).
The position of district superintendent was created in 1910 through an amendment to Article 14 of the Education Law. It replaced
the position of Commissioner of Schools, which had been an elective office, with a position that was appointed by supervisory
district personnel (currently, the superintendent is appointed by the Board of Cooperative Educational Services in the supervisory
district). The shift to an appointive office was designed to increase the level of professionalism and educational expertise
of district administrators. While the superintendents are selected by local personnel, they are paid by the New York State
Education Department, and answerable to the State Commissioner of Education. District superintendents act as the chief executive
officer of the district BOCES, perform administrative and supervisory activities with districts, and perform special duties
assigned by the Commissioner. In effect, they act as an intermediary between school districts and the State Education Department.
Scope and Content Note
This series consists of correspondence and other documents of district superintendents and boards of cooperative educational
services (BOCES) relating to their administration of school district reorganization, building programs, and special issues
in education. The Education Department has responsibility for supervision of all educational institutions in the state, for
allocating state and federal financial aid to schools, and for providing and coordinating vocational rehabilitation services.
In this series files for district superintendents have green or yellow tabs; files for BOCES districts usually have orange
tabs. Occasionally the dates on the tabs are inaccurate because later material is included.
Files for district superintendents contain correspondence and memoranda concerning plans and proposals for school district
reorganization, with much information on school programs and facilities and on local support for and opposition to reorganization.
The files also contain correspondence about building aid requested by schools recommended for reorganization under the "Master
Plan for School District Reorganization in New York State" (Albany, 1947; revised 1958). Other documents found in the files
are certificates of apportionment of building aid; reports on votes on school district reorganization proposals; copies of
orders by the Commissioner of Education appointing district superintendents and redrawing supervisory district boundaries;
and some correspondence with superintendents concerning controversial issues such as sex education and anti-war protests in
schools.
Files for BOCES districts contain correspondence, reports, and other documents concerning construction and operation of BOCES
vocational education centers; and scattered copies of BOCES budgets and annual reports. There are a few special studies, such
as one on the education of children of migrant farm workers in Wayne County, and another on the proposed consolidation of
BOCES districts in St. Lawrence County.
One cubic foot contains files for each retiring district superintendent during the period ca. 1965-1975. Contents of the files
vary, but many contain correspondence concerning the retirement, the benefits due, a copy of the superintendent's personnel
card which gives a summary of educational employment, copies of orders of appointment, with related correspondence, and testimonial
programs and news clippings.
There are several maps found throughout the series. One distinct group consists of annotated topographic print copies of selected
Wayne County industrial sites chosen by industrial development groups and the Department of Commerce and included in a report.
They reflect selection factors such as transportation facilities and access, topography, surface water supplies, drainage
conditions, and facilities for the establishment of sewage disposal systems. Other maps are present in appendices giving community
analyses (such as housing conditions and location of "blighted areas") for reports on unified school districts. There are
a few hand drawn area maps for proposed district reorganization, some showing town and district lines, percentages of students
by race, and/or numbers of enrollments. There are also a few maps accompanying exploratory proposals for BOCES construction
projects or consultant reports on other school building needs. Generally, the presence of title, legend, scale, and preparer
information varies; the maps range in size from 22 x 28 cm to 81 x 81 cm.
Related Material
11121 Correspondence with district superintendents
15671 District superintendent county files relating to appointments and organization orders
B0314 Office of District Organization and District Superintendents subject files, further document the supervision of district
superintendents
B0473 BOCES correspondence and administrative files
B0474 BOCES applications for shared services
11000 BOCES annual financial and statistical reports
14209 BOCES new service proposals deal with Boards of Cooperative Education Services
B0477 Bureau of School District Organization subject and administrative files
Access Restrictions
There are no restrictions regarding access to or use of the material.
Access Terms
Corporate Name(s):
Geographic Name(s):
Subject(s):
Genre(s):
Function(s):
Detailed Description
Dates |
Contents |
Box |
Folder |
Accretion: B0482-83 |
1966 August-1972 May |
Albany-Schoharie-Schenectady Counties – 1964-1969 |
1 |
1 |
1963 April-1972 December |
Allegany County – 1963-1968 |
1 |
2 |
1966 November-1972 August |
Broome-Delaware-Tioga Counties – 1965-1969 |
1 |
3 |
1962 April-1972 December |
Cayuga County – 1962-1969 |
1 |
4 |
1962 January-1972 November |
Cattaraugus County – 1964-1969 |
1 |
5 |
1962 December-1972 October |
Chautauqua County – 1965-1968 |
1 |
6 |
1964 September-1972 November |
Clinton County – 1964-1969 |
1 |
7 |
1968 April-1972 February |
Cortland County – 1964-1969 |
1 |
8 |
1961 March-1972 October |
BOCES – Delaware-Chenango-Otsego (1966-1969) |
1 |
9 |
1970 January-1971 May |
Supervisory District Reorganization Committee – Task Force – Regionalism |
1 |
10 |
1970 January-June |
Committee – Task Force of Redesign |
1 |
11 |
1962 June-1972 December |
Delaware County – 1967-1969 |
1 |
12 |
1965 March-1972 August |
Dutchess County – 1965-1969 |
1 |
13 |
1963 August-1972 November |
Erie 1 – 1968-1969 |
1 |
14 |
1962 October-1968 August |
Erie County - (separate) Old File |
1 |
15 |
1967 July-1972 March |
Erie 2 – Cattaraugus – 1967-1969 |
1 |
16 |
1966 December-1971 February |
BOCES – Essex-Hamilton-Warren-Washington |
2 |
1 |
1964 March-1971 August |
Essex-Hamilton-Warren-Washington |
2 |
2 |
1968 May-1972 May |
Franklin-Essex |
2 |
3 |
1964 November-1972 February |
Genesee County – 1965-1969 |
2 |
4 |
1966 September-1972 February |
Greene 1 |
2 |
5 |
1968 March-1972 October |
Greene-Delaware-Schoharie-Otsego 2 – 1968-1970 |
2 |
6 |
1965 October-1969 April |
Greene County 1 and 2 – old file |
2 |
7 |
1965 December-1967 July |
Hamilton-Fulton-Montgomery (Johnstown-Gloversville) |
2 |
8a |
1965 December-1967 July |
Hamilton-Fulton-Montgomery (Johnstown-Gloversville) |
2 |
8b |
1965 December-1967 July |
Hamilton-Fulton-Montgomery (Johnstown-Gloversville) |
2 |
8c |
1962 December-1971 October |
Hamilton County – 1965-1969 |
2 |
9 |
1964 November-1972 December |
Herkimer County – 1964-1970 |
2 |
10 |
1962 May-1972 December |
Jefferson – 1962-1969 |
2 |
11 |
1962 May-1972 July |
Lewis County – 1962-1968 |
2 |
12 |
1970 September-December |
Livingston County-Genesee County – Redistricting Proposal |
2 |
13 |
1966 April-1972 December |
Livingston County – 1966-1969 |
2 |
14 |
1964 November-1972 December |
Madison |
2 |
15 |
1968 December-1971 February |
Background Data on Rochester Regional Center Selection |
2 |
16 |
1963 June-1972 August |
BOCES – Monroe (1969-1970) |
2 |
17 |
1969 January-1972 October |
Monroe 2 |
2 |
18 |
1965 October-1972 October |
Nassau County – 1966-1969 |
3 |
1 |
1960 October-1971 January |
Nassau County – Sewanhaka |
3 |
2a |
1960 October-1971 January |
Nassau County – Sewanhaka |
3 |
2b |
1972 February-1974 March |
Nassau – Sewanhaka |
3 |
3 |
1972 November-1974 December |
Nassau – BOCES |
3 |
4a |
1972 November-1974 December |
Nassau – BOCES |
3 |
4b |
1970 January-1973 February |
Nassau County |
3 |
5 |
1967 January-1969 December |
Nassau – BOCES - 1967-1969 |
3 |
6 |
1963 December-1972 August |
Oneida 1 - 1969 |
3 |
7 |
1968 April-1972 November |
Oneida 2 – 1966-1969 |
3 |
8 |
1965 July-1973 January |
Onondaga County – 1965-1969 |
3 |
9a |
1965 July-1973 January |
Onondaga County – 1965-1969 |
3 |
9b |
1964 April-1972 August |
Orange County – 1965-1969 |
3 |
10a |
1964 April-1972 August |
Orange County – 1965-1969 |
3 |
10b |
1962 April-1972 November |
Ontario County – 1963-1969 |
4 |
1a |
1962 April-1972 November |
Ontario County – 1963-1969 |
4 |
1b |
1966 April-1972 January |
Orleans County – 1965-1969 |
4 |
2 |
1968 August-1972 December |
BOCES – Orleans-Niagara (1968-1969) |
4 |
3a |
1968 August-1972 December |
BOCES – Orleans-Niagara (1968-1969) |
4 |
3b |
1964 June-1972 December |
Oswego County – 1966-1969 |
4 |
4 |
1961 March-1968 March |
BOCES – Otsego |
4 |
5 |
1967 May-1972 December |
BOCES – Putnam-Westchester (1967-1969) |
4 |
6 |
1965 October-1972 September |
Putnam-Westchester 1 - 1967-1969 |
4 |
7a |
1965 October-1972 September |
Putnam-Westchester 1 - 1967-1969 |
4 |
7b |
1962 July-1972 September |
Rensselaer–Columbia – 1966-1969 |
4 |
8 |
1969 March-1972 July |
BOCES - Rensselaer–Columbia – 1969-1972 |
4 |
9 |
1968 December-1972 September |
BOCES – Rockland County – 1969 |
4 |
10 |
1966 February-1972 December |
Rockland – 1968-1969 |
4 |
11 |
1967 October-1972 August |
BOCES – St. Lawrence County (1967-1970) |
4 |
12 |
1962 May-1972 October |
St. Lawrence – 1962-1970 |
4 |
13 |
1966 July-1970 November |
St. Lawrence County – Redistricting |
4 |
14 |
1961 December-1971 October |
Saratoga County – 1962-1969 |
4 |
15 |
1962 July-1970 December |
Schuyler-Chemung-Tioga – 1964-1969 |
4 |
16 |
1962 April-1972 November |
Steuben County – 1962-1969 |
4 |
17 |
1968 April-1972 December |
Steuben BOCES |
4 |
18 |
1964 November-1969 November |
Suffolk 1 – 1966-1969 |
4 |
19 |
1964 May-1969 December |
BOCES - Suffolk 1 (1969) |
4 |
20 |
1966 July-1972 December |
Suffolk 2 |
4 |
21a |
1966 July-1972 December |
Suffolk 2 |
4 |
21b |
1970 June-1972 December |
BOCES – Suffolk 2 |
5 |
1 |
1963 March-1969 April |
Suffolk 2 – Port Jefferson Area |
5 |
2 |
1967 January-1970 June |
Suffolk 2 – Four-District Reorganization |
5 |
3 |
1965 September-1972 June |
Suffolk County – Commissioner's Advisory Council on School District Reorganization |
5 |
4 |
1967 January-1969 April |
BOCES - Suffolk 3 (1965-1969) |
5 |
5 |
1963 September-1970 March |
Suffolk 3 (Wyandanch) |
5 |
6 |
1966 May-1973 March |
Suffolk |
5 |
7 |
1968 March-1972 July |
BOCES – Tompkins-Seneca |
5 |
8 |
1967 July-1972 September |
Tompkins |
5 |
9 |
1962 November-1969 April |
Ulster |
5 |
10 |
1964 January-1970 April |
Washington-Warren-Hamilton – 1962-1969 |
5 |
11 |
1967 August-1975 May |
BOCES – Wayne |
5 |
12 |
1965 December-1972 January |
Wayne |
5 |
13 |
1970 August-September |
Wayne County – Red Creek Central School District – Announcement Order Number 47 – Correspondence |
5 |
14 |
1970 December |
Red Creek – Wayne County |
5 |
15 |
1962 April-1966 March |
Wayne 2 - Marion |
5 |
16 |
1964 May-1966 June |
Wayne 2 – Marion-Williamson |
5 |
17 |
1962 October-1967 November |
Wayne 2 – Williamson |
5 |
18 |
1969 May-1970 May |
Wayne County Redistricting |
5 |
19a |
1969 May-1970 May |
Wayne County Redistricting |
5 |
19b |
1965 March-1971 February |
Wayne County – State Aid |
5 |
20 |
undated |
Industrial Resources Survey of Wayne County |
5 |
21 |
1968 June-1972 December |
BOCES – Westchester 2 (1968-1972) |
5 |
22 |
1970 March-1972 June |
Westchester 2 BOCES Garage |
5 |
23a |
1970 March-1972 June |
Westchester 2 BOCES Garage |
5 |
23b |
1962 May-1970 April |
1968-1969 - Westchester 2 |
5 |
24a |
1962 May-1970 April |
1968-1969 - Westchester 2 |
5 |
24b |
1967 September |
Westchester County Reorganization Plan |
5 |
25 |
1969 October-1970 May |
Abbey, Donald |
6 |
1 |
undated |
District Superintendents - Retirements from April 1, 1962-April 1, 1967 |
6 |
2 |
1967 April-1980 December |
Allen, Everest |
6 |
3 |
1970 March-1971 April |
Baker, Leonard |
6 |
4 |
1966 May-1967 March |
Bryan, Bernard |
6 |
5 |
1971 May-1978 March |
District Superintendents – Blaney, Joseph J. |
6 |
6 |
1968 May-1976 January |
District Superintendents – Bliss, D. Everett |
6 |
7 |
1964 January-1968 June |
Bush, Pauline |
6 |
8 |
1967 June |
Byrnes, John |
6 |
9 |
1967 April-June |
Carpenter, Melvin |
6 |
10 |
1965 July-1970 July |
Chisamore, Earl |
6 |
11 |
1966 August-1969 March |
Clark, Edgar |
6 |
12 |
1965 July-1978 October |
District Superintendents – Clark, Franklin B. |
6 |
13 |
1970 July-1974 September |
Crist, Amy |
6 |
14 |
1967 February-1980 September |
Crocoll, William T. |
6 |
15 |
1967 February-1972 May |
Crumb, Henry |
6 |
16 |
1965 March-December |
Dalton, George |
6 |
17 |
1972 May-November |
Dearlove, Homer |
6 |
18 |
1967 March-1971 March |
Dillion, John |
6 |
19 |
1967 March-1970 June |
Dye, Robert |
6 |
20 |
1965 October-1970 April |
Ehle, Wesley |
6 |
21 |
1970 January-1974 September |
Farnsworth |
6 |
22 |
1968 July-1969 July |
Fink, John |
6 |
23 |
1969 June-1971 June |
Finnegan, Maurice |
6 |
24 |
1974 November-1978 July |
Fobert, Rudolph J. (Dr.) |
6 |
25 |
1967 April-1974 May |
Forrester, Elwood |
6 |
26 |
1966 May-1967 April |
Foreman, Lester |
6 |
27 |
1964 May-1978 March |
District Superintendents – Franklin, Walter G. |
6 |
28 |
1967 March-1971 July |
French, Earl |
6 |
29 |
1967 January-1975 November |
Gividen |
6 |
30 |
1969 July-1975 October |
Goodrich, Irving |
6 |
31 |
1967 August |
Hamilton, Leon |
6 |
32 |
1969 February-March |
Harrold, John |
6 |
33 |
1964 December-1974 March |
Haynes |
6 |
34 |
1966 February-1971 March |
Hitchcock, Elwood |
6 |
35 |
1964 February-1973 April |
Hoeldtke, Ernest |
6 |
36 |
1958 January-1969 September |
Hoffmann, Stanley |
6 |
37 |
1965 April-1970 June |
Hopf, John |
6 |
38 |
1964 December-1968 October |
Hopper, Henry |
6 |
39 |
1978 June-September |
Him, William – Deceased September 9, 1978 |
6 |
40 |
1968 January-1980 July |
District Superintendents – Johnson, F. Wright – retired January 2, 1979 |
6 |
41 |
1968 June-1973 September |
Johnson, Howard |
6 |
42 |
1967 January-June |
Keenan, Joseph |
6 |
43 |
1968 June-July |
Lee, Mabel |
6 |
44 |
1965 December-1970 March |
Livingston, Morris |
6 |
45 |
1964 March-1980 March |
LoGuidice, Philip J. |
6 |
46 |
1966 February-1974 October |
Loveless, John |
6 |
47 |
1968 February-1970 September |
May, Charles |
6 |
48 |
1970 April-1972 May |
Mapes, Cecil |
6 |
49 |
1966 July-1968 January |
McKernan, William |
6 |
50 |
1967 April-1968 November |
Merrill, Amenzo |
6 |
51 |
1968 July-1977 July |
District Superintendents – Meyers, F. Donald |
6 |
52 |
1969 June-1980 December |
District Superintendents – Maybury, George W. |
6 |
53 |
1966 November-1973 January |
Miller, Francis |
6 |
54 |
1969 March-1973 June |
Ormsby, Wallace |
6 |
55 |
1974 December-1980 May |
Peters, Philip A. |
6 |
56 |
1970 March-1977 July |
Prentice, Justus A. – Deceased January 24, 1978 |
6 |
57 |
1965 June-1975 November |
Phelan, William |
6 |
58 |
1965 August-1971 February |
Paul, Henry |
6 |
59 |
1967 September-1970 April |
Rossey, Paul |
6 |
60 |
1964 May-1973 June |
Ruppert, Conrad |
6 |
61 |
1967 February-1972 November |
Russo, Thomas |
6 |
62 |
1966 August |
Sant, Raymond |
6 |
63 |
1974 March-November |
Schwalbenburg, Peter |
6 |
64 |
1973 December-1974 April |
Schwalbenburg, Peter J. (Retired District Superintendent) |
6 |
65 |
1965 November |
Seater |
6 |
66 |
1967 April-May |
Shoemaker, Elwin |
6 |
67 |
1964 February-1970 March |
Simpson, Wendell |
6 |
68 |
1965 October-November |
Slater, Glenn |
6 |
69 |
1967 November-December |
Smith, Dealton |
6 |
70 |
1970 June-1971 August |
Smith |
6 |
71 |
1971 March-1981 March |
Erle A. Smith |
6 |
72 |
1968 November-1980 October |
Sparks, Richard |
6 |
73 |
1966 January |
Sproul, James |
6 |
74 |
1966 February-1970 March |
Stewart, Otto |
6 |
75 |
1969 August-1970 January |
Sylvester, Harold |
6 |
76 |
1971 January-1975 January |
Turcotte, Charles |
6 |
77 |
1967 October-1971 May |
Tyson, Harold |
6 |
78 |
1965 July-1968 August |
Vrooman, Raymond |
6 |
79 |
1964 May-1971 March |
Vanderhoof, Hugh |
6 |
80 |
1966 February |
Wallin, Bessie |
6 |
81 |
1970 June-October |
Ward, Harry |
6 |
82 |
1964 May-1980 December |
Wheaton, Gordon A. |
6 |
83 |
1969 April-1974 January |
Wieand, Eugene |
6 |
84 |
1965 August-1971 December |
Williams, Roscoe |
6 |
85 |
1971 December-1981 September |
Womack, James C. |
6 |
86 |
1966 October-1980 May |
Witko, Edward S. – retired July 1, 1980 |
6 |
87 |
1968 February-1970 November |
Wyckoff, Philip |
6 |
88 |
1965 October-1971 August |
Youmans, Ernest |
6 |
89 |