N.E.W. BOCES is an acronym for the Northeast Wyoming Board of Cooperative Educational Services. It is a Cooperative, brought into being by a legal agreement, between twelve member public school districts that have joined together to provide educational services to special children residing in each district and throughout Wyoming. To meet the needs of these disabled children, the Cooperative designed and built the Powder River Basin Children's Center (PRBCC) in 1982. All children between the ages of five and twenty-one, who are deemed eligible for special education, are entitled to be provided an individually prepared program of special education by their school district of residence. The present participating school districts include:
The purpose of the educational cooperatives, as authorized by they Wyoming Cooperative Educational Services Act, is to provide educational services, including but not limited to Post-Secondary Education, Vocational-Technical Education, Technical Assistance, and services for exceptional children. The Powder River Basin Children's Center offers services for those exceptional children whose unique needs can not be adequately provided in the child's resident school district.
The Northeast Wyoming BOCES/The Powder River Basin Children's Center services are designed to assist and enhance the local school districts commitment to successful student outcomes. Our on-site programs are especially designed for students with significant deficits in the categories of autism, deaf-blindness, behavior, orthopedic impairment, mental disability, language disability, vision, hearing and health impairments, and traumatic brain injury.
Embracing the belief that all children can learn, the Powder River Basin Children's Center will provide exceptional opportunities for diverse students throughout the state.
It is the policy of Northeast Wyoming Board of Cooperative Educational Services
not to discriminate on the basis of race, color, national origin, sex, age, or
disability in admission or access to or treatment or employment in its
educational programs or activities. Inquiries concerning Title VI, Title IX,
Section 504, and the Americans with Disabilities Act may be referred to the
Wyoming Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights Coordinator, 2nd Floor,
Hathaway Building, Cheyenne, WY 82002-0050 or (307) 777-3544, or the
Office for Civil Rights, Region VIII, U.S. Department of Education, Federal
Building, Suite 310, 1244 Speer Boulevard, Denver, CO 80204, or (303) 844-5695
or TDD (303) 844-3417.
Northeast Wyoming BOCES provides services through both direct and itinerant delivery models in three general areas with all services individually designed for the student and/or district.
Instructional Services |
Special Related Services |
Administrative-Professional Services |
| Adaptive Learning | Adaptive Physical Education | Adaptive Equipment Technology |
| Basic Academics | Audiology | Child Screening Services |
| Behavior Management | Counseling | Cooperative Purchasing |
| Community Mobility | Occupational Therapy | Diagnostics and Consultation |
| Extended School Year | Parent Training | Grant Writing |
| Health Education | Physical Therapy | Independent Evaluations |
| Independent Skills Development | Residential Services | Personnel Recruitment |
| Leisure/Recreation Skills | Special Health Care | Staff Development |
| Social Skills Development | Special Transportation | Program Development/Evaluation |
| Pre-Vocational Learning | Speech/Language Therapy | Program Evaluation Assistance |
| Vocational/Work-Study Training | Transitional Programming | Research, Data Collection, Data Analysis |
All Northeast Wyoming BOCES Staff are appropriately certified, licensed, and/or trained. A services fee schedule is available upon request.
The Powder River Basin Children's Center, located at 410 North Miller Avenue in Gillette, Wyoming, was completed in 1982. The attractive 5.5 acre campus features a school with fully equipped classrooms, cafeteria, gymnasium, playground, student canteen, greenhouse, four residential cottages, administrative offices, diagnostic unit, and maintenance areas. The total complex is handicap accessible. All facilities are designed and furnished with student comfort, safety, and learning in mind. The Center is maintained in compliance with all health and safety standards.
Northeast Wyoming BOCES/The Powder River Basin Children's Center is recognized by the State of Wyoming as a non-profit public educational agency and operates under the regulatory procedures and practices of the Wyoming Department of Education. The Powder River Basin Children's Center is certified by the Department of Family Services as a Residential Treatment Facility.
As an educational cooperative, Northeast Wyoming BOCES is available to respond to referrals for services year around.
Option A: |
Regular School Year |
Option B: |
Regular School Year with Evening and/or Weekend Residence |
Option C: |
Extended School Year (summer) Program |
Option D: |
Full Year (254 Day School/365 Day Residential) Program |
Students may be enrolled at any time during the year and attend on a full-time or part-time basis depending upon their Individual Education Program. Transportation, residential, and related services are available.
Wyoming rules and regulations governing services for children with disabilities provide procedural guidelines for the identification, programming, and placement of exceptional children. As an Educational Cooperative, Northeast Wyoming BOCES receives its authority from local districts and it is at the local level, or the child's resident school district, that basic decisions are made about the education of special children. Based upon state guidelines, the bulk of referrals to Northeast Wyoming BOCES come from a child's resident district or state agency.
Parent(s), Guardian(s), and/or Agency Representatives who are concerned about the child's need for special education assistance should contact school officials in the child's resident school district for information regarding referral procedures and options.
You may also contact NEW BOCES directly at (307) 682-0231.