Andrea Macko is reporting for Porcupine Soup Questar III BOCES has announced plans to move its special education programs from Catskill to the former Durham Elementary School in Durham. “Beginning this summer, Questar III BOCES will relocate its Special Education programs ... currently at Catskill Academy to the Durham school located on NY-145 in Durham,” Shauna Maynard, director of special education for Questar III, and Catskill Academy Principal Mark Nizer wrote in a January 5, letter to school families. Questar III delivers more than 275 educational and administrative services to 23 school districts in Rensselaer, Columbia and Greene counties. It has leased space for the Catskill Academy on West Main Street from the Catskill Central School District since 2011. Questar III purchased the former Durham Elementary School in 2020. That building offers larger classroom space, a separate gym and cafeteria, as well as outdoor space for the special ed program. “We look forward to creating this new learning environment for our students,” Niver and Maynard wrote. The Catskill Academy currently serves 34 students in grades K-12 from districts in Greene and Columbia counties, and from other neighboring counties, as well, Maynard said. The move to Durham will offer a collaboration with BOCES career and technical education programs located at the Durham site. This includes an existing heavy equipment program and a new agriculture science program that begins in the fall of 2022. Read the full story at porcupinesoup [dot] com.