A page from the publication “50 Years of Excellence and Innovation” celebrating the 50th anniversary of BOCES in Rensselaer, Columbia and Greene Counties.

As we begin another school year, we pause to recognize an important milestone in our history. Forty years ago, Rensselaer-Columbia-Greene BOCES was born – uniting our tri-county region.

The birth of our organization – now known as Questar III BOCES – actually dates back to the late 1950s, when the three counties created separate BOCES units. These organizations started small with a powerful purpose – to build capacity for our local school districts, allowing them to do together what would have been impossible to do alone. It is amazing to think about how far public education and our school districts have come since then, and the role that the BOCES played in those improvements.

Milestones like this are a great opportunity to think about the future as much as reflect on the past. Today, our mission remains just as powerful and important for our school districts and students. After all, it is easy, over a span of 40 years, to lose sight of an organization’s core purpose or reason for existence as people and initiatives change. This is why we articulated this statement in The Leading Edge framework last school year. As a BOCES, we are “changing lives, realizing dreams and doing together what can’t be done alone.”

This is what the tri-county BOCES has done for the past 40 years – and what we’ll continue to do moving forward. Today, we provide more than 275 different programs and services to more than 650 school districts across the state. We are indeed an integral part of the public education system in Rensselaer, Columbia and Greene counties – and well-respected across the state.

Collaboration is more important than ever – for understanding and for doing more than what would otherwise be possible. We live in a global world that is increasingly connected through technology. Over the past 40 years, we have adapted to keep up with the changing world around us – and looking ahead, we must continue to adapt and evolve as an educational service agency.

As District Superintendent, I am confident that we will do what is best for our school districts and students. After all, we have a history of service, excellence, leadership and innovation – and a commitment to continue to deliver on these core values.

While our colleagues from the early days of Questar III are no longer here, the legacy of their work lives on today. We extend them our sincere thanks for their outstanding work in making Questar III a leader for the past 40 years. We also extend our appreciation to our staff and districts for their commitment and support. Thank you for helping make Questar III what it is today. We look forward to seeing where you take us in the next 40 years.

Gladys Cruz
District Superintendent

Follow our 40th anniversary at #QuestarAt40 on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram
40 years of learning what is possible through collaboration

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