Student James Rathbun has spent his entire educational career in one Herkimer-Fulton-Hamilton-Otsego BOCES program or another as he has navigated having significant characteristics of autism and behavioral concerns.
A few years ago, nobody would have thought Rathbun had a chance of graduating with a high school diploma, but BOCES teachers and administrators believed in him and his intelligence and put him on a course to potentially do just that eventually, Herkimer BOCES Director of Special Education at the WEB Complex and Related Services Tim Johnston said.
“I’ve had the pleasure of watching him persevere through the challenges that having significant characteristics of autism can have on a student in a school setting,” Johnston said. “As he’s moved through our programs, I’ve watched him mature and progress and become a student who could graduate.”
Herkimer BOCES presented the 2025 Student Spotlight Award to Rathbun during the Herkimer BOCES 2025 Annual Meeting on Thursday, April 3, at the William E. Busacker Complex in Herkimer. Rathbun took the stage with Johnston at the Annual Meeting and gave comments thanking Herkimer BOCES and the teachers and staff who have worked with him.
Rathbun, from Poland Central School District, started at Herkimer BOCES as a kindergartener and is now a 12th grader in a Herkimer BOCES 12:1:1 program based at Central Valley Academy.
The Herkimer BOCES Annual Meeting also included Herkimer BOCES District Superintendent D.J. Shepardson speaking about BOCES to component district superintendents and school board members, Herkimer BOCES Board of Education President Holly Pullis welcoming guests, component superintendents introducing Herkimer BOCES Board of Education candidates for their districts, the presentation of the 2025 Outstanding Community Partner Award to the Ilion Police Department, Herkimer BOCES Culinary and Hospitality program students serving food and drinks they prepared and the Little Falls Concert Choir performing.
During the meeting, Shepardson and Pullis congratulated Rathbun and his family on the award.
“James is a great representative of BOCES, a great representative of Poland, and we’re very happy to give him this award,” Shepardson said.
Pullis shared similar sentiments.
“You really embody what BOCES is all about, James,” Pullis said.
‘What an accomplishment’
Over the years, Rathbun transitioned to different placements within BOCES to meet his needs at different points of his life – including 12:1:1, autism and behavioral programs. He was always in programs at BOCES buildings and didn’t follow the typical day of a general education student in a district, Johnston said.
Beginning with the 2023-24 school year, he was able to start going to school in-district at Central Valley Academy.
“He went from a center-based and highly restrictive program to now managing the typical life of an 12th grader at Central Valley,” Johnston said, noting that Rathbun is expected to go to general education classes and interact with general education students. “From what we know of students with autism, that’s a big challenge.”
Rathbun has always had a 1:1 aide to help him, and he still does to a degree, but he has made a huge amount of progress toward not needing the help of an adult to navigate his day, Johnston said. Rathbun has taken on more responsibility and independence as a student, Johnston said.
“What an accomplishment,” Johnston said.
‘Needs to be challenged’
When Rathbun had to move to a behavioral program, he was having challenging outbursts over concrete concepts that he didn’t want to accept such as whether the lights in the classroom would be on or off or how his peers were acting, Johnston said.
As he continued through BOCES, up until a couple of years ago, he was an alternatively assessed student. That meant he wouldn’t be taking state assessments and would be on a path to complete high school without getting a high school diploma – which has negative consequences such as hurting his employability, Johnston said.
“I made the decision he needs to be challenged,” Johnston said.
At that time, Rathbun was in an autism classroom with mostly non-verbal classmates, and it wouldn’t have seemed possible he would ever be an in-district student, Johnston said.
Teachers and administrators, however, knew that Rathbun was very intellectual and a strong reader – at an upper elementary reading level. He could retain a lot of information, but as is typical with many autistic students, he was selective about what information he wanted to retain, Johnston said.
Overall, the thinking was that with the right push and encouragement, he could be successful, Johnston said.
It was decided to put Rathbun at an eighth grade reading level, enter him into an eighth grade health class and put him in living environment class. If he did the work and passed those classes, then they would make the choice for him to switch to being state-assessed and going for a high school Regents diploma, and that’s what happened, Johnston said.
“The thought process was: He’s so smart. We need to challenge him,” Johnston said. “Will he graduate with a Regents Diploma? I have no idea. But he’s intelligent and capable.”
‘Now you have hope’
Rathbun’s new path proved to be a struggle – and continues to be at times – because of his significant characteristics of autism, Johnston said. Johnston remembers times that Rathbun would yell at him about not wanting to take on the more difficult coursework.
“I would just say, ‘This is what you need to do,’” Johnston said.
At some point, the pushback decreased.
“He just started doing it,” Johnston said.
Rathbun first started as an in-district student at Central Valley last school year – taking 12:1:1 math, English and science classes and a half day of career awareness class. He is now in district at Central Valley taking 12:1:1 classes essentially the whole day. He has taken on much more responsibility and independence and has a chance to graduate with a Regents diploma.
“It’s been a challenge, and now you’re watching him become independent, and now you have hope that he can graduate and we can get him into assisted employment,” Johnston said. “That’s the epitome of what BOCES does for students.”
BOCES finds creative ways for students to reach their full potential, Johnston said.
“I think we’re watching James do that,” Johnston said.
‘Ever thought possible’
When reflecting on Rathbun’s progress, Johnston thinks of the teachers who worked with Rathbun and the administrators who supervised them and the difference they made. If people didn’t believe in him, it would be easy for him to slide back into struggles, Johnston said.
Herkimer BOCES Supervisor of Special Education at Central Valley 5-12 Patty Frank oversees the program Rathbun is now in.
Frank said she was initially nervous about Rathbun transitioning to the Central Valley Academy high school because he has always been located at a BOCES building, but he has done great.
“Since I have known James, he has grown immensely,” Frank said. “He has shown great improvement in his ability to navigate social situations as well as in his development of social skills. James is also doing very well in his academic classes and oftentimes adds to the classroom discussions.”
Whether Rathbun’s BOCES journey will end with a Regents diploma or not is yet to be determined.
The outlook for his chances of getting a Regents diploma is a mix of challenges and hopefulness. An example of the struggles he could face is that if a Regents question asks for five paragraphs on a topic, but James only wants to write five sentences, then he’s going to only write five sentences, Johnston said.
“But he’s going to give you really good stuff in those five sentences,” Johnston said.
Regardless, the opportunity is there now.
It’s students such as Rathbun and the progress they make that can give you goosebumps and a heartfelt, rewarding feeling, Johnston said.
“These are the reasons you get into this type of education,” Johnston said.
Rathbun’s experience exemplifies the Herkimer BOCES slogan of “creating opportunities for growth,” Johnston said.
“No matter what BOCES program a student is involved in, it’s really an opportunity for their lives to transform,” Johnston said. “And I think that’s what’s happening with James. I’m hopeful that at the end of this, we’ll see a person who is much more independent than we ever thought possible.”
Herkimer-Fulton-Hamilton-Otsego BOCES Director of Special Education at the WEB Complex and Related Services Tim Johnston and student James Rathbun pose for a photo after Johnston presented Rathbun with the Herkimer BOCES Student Spotlight Award during the 2025 Herkimer BOCES Annual Meeting on Thursday, April 3, at the William E. Busacker Complex in Herkimer.
Herkimer-Fulton-Hamilton-Otsego BOCES 2025 Student Spotlight Award winner James Rathbun poses with his award on stage during the Herkimer BOCES Annual Meeting on Thursday, April 3, at the William E. Busacker Complex in Herkimer.
Herkimer-Fulton-Hamilton-Otsego BOCES 2025 Student Spotlight Award winner James Rathbun speaks on stage during the Herkimer BOCES Annual Meeting on Thursday, April 3, at the William E. Busacker Complex in Herkimer, as Herkimer BOCES Director of Special Education at the WEB Complex and Related Services Tim Johnston looks on.
Herkimer-Fulton-Hamilton-Otsego BOCES Director of Special Education at the WEB Complex and Related Services Tim Johnston speaks on stage during the Herkimer BOCES Annual Meeting on Thursday, April 3, at the William E. Busacker Complex in Herkimer, as 2025 Student Spotlight Award winner James Rathbun looks on.