Presentation: Early Head Start/Head Start Policy Board
The Early Head Start (EHS)/Head Start (HS) Policy Board members introduced themselves to the Niagara Falls City School District Board of Education. The district has overseen the Head Start program for the last three years. All of the speakers emphasized the importance of this program because the younger students start learning not only scholastics, but life skills, the better chance they have for a successful life.
2025 -2026 School District Budget
Superintendent Mark Laurrie announced that the district has entered its final two weeks of creating the 2025 – 2026 school year budget. The district is piecing together a sound spending plan without the knowledge of what New York State lawmakers plan to spend on Foundation Aid. The proposed budget has risen by 4.1% over last year's budget. The district has a current budget gap of $3.7 million and the board will make that budget gap zero before it is put up for public vote.
Recommended items from Superintendent Laurrie
The board approved eight short-term contracts, including
- A contract with Cold Narly Generation LLC Music Academy for Big Picture Students. Students will work with this organization to produce a recording of their own making
- A contract with Niagara University for Adult English as a New Language (ENL) classes. The current enrollment is 22 parents and 16 students
- A contract with Dr. Lisa McNair to provide the keynote speech at the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Awards ceremony on April 8, 2025
The board approved 16 items of new business. Here are some highlights:
- A $2.4 million grant to continue Early Head Start and Head Start programs in the 2025/2026 school year
- The extension of the transportation contracts between the district and First Student
- The extension of the transportation contracts between the district and Niagara Coach Lines, Inc. for transportation services
- Appointment of trained students as election inspectors starting with the school board and budget vote in May
Superintendent's Report
Congratulations to Board of Education Member Brad McLeod for completing the mandatory school board course and achieving an impressive score
Niagara Falls High School held a huge job and career fair on Saturday, March 29, 2025 with 32 companies on-hand looking for job candidates
The Niagara Falls High School Proscenium Players made the District proud with four outstanding performances of the musical Godspell
Please attend the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration featuring our district MLK, Jr. Award recipients and keynote speaker Lisa McNair on April 8, 2025 at 6:00 p.m. McNair is a civil rights advocate and a nationally renowned speaker regarding themes of tragedy and triumph. Lisa draws on the lessons she learned from the loss of her sister, Denise, in the 1963 Church Bombing in Birmingham, Alabama
Superintendent Laurrie visited the Iron Workers shop and observed 12 Niagara Falls High School (NFHS) students welding. The welding training is part of the district’s Pathways program
Bon voyage to a handful of groups from Niagara Falls High School who will be embarking on trips shortly – the NFHS Baseball Team is heading to Florida, the Foreign Language Club is taking off for Europe, and the Historically Black Colleges trip participants depart on April 5, 2025, and this year they are traveling to the state of Maryland
District PreK – second grade teachers received training on how to best use iPads in the education of the district’s elementary students
Congratulations to NFHS 2008 graduate Frank Massaro. The district is very proud that Massaro has been named a cardiovascular anesthesiologist at Roswell Park Cancer Center and Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center
The next meeting of the Niagara Falls City School District Board of Education is on Thursday, April 3, 2025 at the District Administration Building, 630 66th Street, Niagara Falls at 5:30 p.m.
