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(Editor’s Note: What follows are notes from the most recent Niagara Falls Board of Education meeting as submitted by the School District.)
Niagara Falls City School District Superintendent Mark Laurrie, Administrator for School Business Services Rebecca Holody, and Budget Manager Julie Jacklin provided an update on the 2025 – 2026 school year budget.
The proposed budget shows a spending growth of 3.9% and a budget gap of $3.4 million. Currently, the budget total is $202,368,453, and it retains all full-time employees and all of the district's programs. The district does not intend to increase the tax levy.
Refined versions of the 2025 – 2026 budget will be presented at the March 13 and March 27, 2025, board of education meetings. By April 3, 2025, the final tax cap will be zero. Board members will vote on the budget at their April 10, 2025 meeting. The school budget vote and election of two board members will occur on Tuesday, May 20, 2025.
Recommended actions from the superintendent of schools
The board of education approved 17 short-term contracts, including the following:
- Ironworker's Local 9 Apprenticeship Fund: Introduction to Welding for the District's Trades Program Students
- Eric Horwitz Life Enrichment Program, LLC for culinary mentor workshops at Abate and Hyde Park Elementary Schools. This program has 122 students ready to start
New Business
The board of education approved the following items of new business:
- RECEIPT OF GIFT FROM TOTALLY BUFFALO CARES - Totally Buffalo Cares donated more than $25,000 to the Niagara Falls City School District students at Abate Elementary, Cataract Elementary, Hyde Park Elementary, and Kalfas Primary Schools in December 2024. This donation was used to purchase holiday gifts, food, and clothing for the families at those schools.
- ACCEPTANCE OF FUNDS FOR THE 2024/2025 STATEWIDE UNIVERSAL FULL-DAY PRE-KINDERGARTEN: The New York State Governor's Office has allocated $289,131 to the Niagara Falls City School District to implement the Statewide Universal Full-Day Pre-Kindergarten (SUFDPK) program. Through the funding of the SUFDPK Grant, the Niagara Falls City School District is slated to service at least 30 children
- Approval of agreement BOCES to purchase student iPad devices for the District's PreK – second-grade students in an amount not to exceed $1,045,728.72
Superintendent's report
- Best of luck to our 10 robotics teams traveling to Syracuse to compete in the State Championships on March 5. Three teams from Niagara Falls High School, five from LaSalle Prep School, and two from Gaskill Prep School will compete
- Two NFCSD nurses saved two students' lives performing the Heimlich maneuver during the February 23 – 28, 2025, school week. The district is proud of and grateful for our nurses for going above and beyond
- On March 14, 2025 (3/14), for the first time, Niagara Falls High School will celebrate "PI Day." Students will build catapults, eat many different types of pie from SUNY Niagara Culinary students, and plan on enjoying pizza pies as well. Students from all levels will participate and be engaged
- Congratulations to the 99 winter sports season scholar-athletes.
- Congratulations to NFCSD Board member Earl Bass, Bloneva Bond Primary School Assistant Principal Dorothy Brundidge, and NFCSD accountant Markasia McCreary, who will all be honored at the Black Achievers Dinner on March 15, 2025, at the Niagara Falls Conference Center
The next Niagara Falls City School District Board of Education meeting is Thursday, March 13, 2025, at 5:30 p.m., Central Office, 630 66th Street, Niagara Falls, N.Y.
