Washington Saratoga Warren Hamilton Essex BOCES will lay off 40

The Glens Falls Post-Star is reporting that one of the major regional BOCES chapters will slash 40 jobs, following a budget cut of nearly a million dollars.

BOCES provides educational and support services to school districts.

Terry Blanchfield, chief operating officer of BOCES, said local superintendents told BOCES they were going to need fewer programs in 2010-11.

“They indicated to us to expect a reduction in programs and services,” Blanchfield said. “We then created a budget by divisions with their guidance. The result is we built a budget by eliminating 40.5 positions throughout our organization.”

As Federal stimulus moneys fade, and the state budget crisis continues, it appears that hundreds of education jobs could be cut across the North Country — a devastating blow in communities where schools are often the top employers.