Dear Colleagues:

We would like to thank the Superintendents of our 21 component school districts, component and BOCES Board Members, business and community leaders, teaching and support personnel for the commitment of time, energy, expertise and care that has created our new Greater Southern Tier BOCES. Currently, we are using the work of our BOCES Strategic Planning Committee to move forward with the promulgation of our mission as an educational service organization:

The GST BOCES is an innovative educational service organization driven by customer needs and a commitment to excellence, whose mission is to ensure the success of our diverse learners, parents, community members, schools and businesses by providing collaboratively inspired, cost-effective, quality programs in an atmosphere that is safe and supportive.

We acknowledge and understand that quality customer service and cost effectiveness are critical to the success of our component schools and to our GST region.

In order to accomplish our mission in support of our component schools and communities, we continue to offer a wide array of requested programs in the areas of Career & Technical Education, Adult Education, Workforce Retraining Instruction, Special Education, Instructional Support, Technology, Distance Learning, Library Programs and a variety of Management Services. As a result of the decisions made in collaborating with our component superintendents, boards of education and staff, we have tried to customize or layer the service offerings to allow each district to use the level of service necessary to meet its district's needs.

Even with all of these programs, the changing environment in each of our component districts requires us to redesign, delete and add programs and services as requested. We recognize that we are in an era dominated by change in people's career paths and community job opportunities, economic scarcity and technological innovation. Change will continue to be a part of this organization as well. Nevertheless, every day the staff of the Greater Southern Tier BOCES will continue to do their best to assist component school districts in meeting the challenges of achieving the learning standards and graduation requirements, as well as helping students acquire the skills necessary to be good and productive citizens.

Our priority is to be the BEST at providing quality, cost effective programs and services that meet the needs of the students, schools and businesses in our GST regional community.

Sincerely,

Anthony J. Micha
District Superintendent