School Board notes

School Board notes

The City School District of the City of Niagara Falls, New York (NFCSD), held its regular monthly meeting on Thursday, Sept. 25.

Stuart Lowe of Buffalo Construction Consultants, CPL, provided an update on the $29.3 million A Breath of Fresh Air (ABOFA) capital projects. ABOFA is nearing completion. The completed projects are:

• Secured Vestibules – All 12 vestibules are unique, designed to match the particular aesthetic needs of the school. Historical architectural features remain intact. The vestibules allow visitors to enter the building without directly entering the interior; instead, they utilize a reception window for screening, thereby reducing in-building traffic. Security officers and cameras surveil each vestibule.
• Bloneva Bond Primary Greenhouse – Construction is complete. Additional security measures were implemented from the school corridor to the greenhouse.
• Gaskill and LaSalle HVAC Upgrades have been completed, with air conditioning now operational. Additional smoke and fire detectors have been installed.
• Electrical service upgrades to Gaskill and LaSalle – completed.
• Niagara Falls High School (NFHS) Walk of Fame – panels will be completed in the next couple of weeks. The plaques are being finalized for content.
• Administration Building Boiler Replacement – completed.

Superintendent Mark Laurrie provided a brief review of the agenda, including personnel matters. The board approved a change in the meeting date from Thursday, October 16, 2025, to Wednesday, October 15, 2025.

Nine Niagara Falls Class of 2025 August graduates were recognized. They are:

Arlety Arrigo

Giavanna Ferguson

Brandon Jansma

Shawnasia Johnson

Steven Preisch

Ja-niya Riley

Elandia Saunders

Alexis Shimmel

Aaron Woolcot-Butry

The board honored two students who received perfect scores on the New York State Assessment tests. Administrator for Assessment, Marcia Capone, announced the two students:

Essie Joyce, a sixth-grader at Harry F. Abate Elementary, received a perfect score on the grade 6 math assessment, and Jade Huang, an eighth-grader at Gaskill Prep School, received a perfect score on the grade 8 English Language Arts (ELA) exam.

Short-term Contracts:

The board approved eight short-term contracts, including agreements with:

• Lift Enrichment Program, LLC (Fall 2025) Student Wellness through Culinary – for workshops with visiting chefs at Abate/Hyde Park, Sept. – Dec., 2025

• Fight Night Boxing - Fundamentals of Boxing (40 students are expected to participate)
• University at Buffalo Center for Assistive Technology- for assistive technology training for students and staff, Sept. 2025 – June 2026

New Business:

The board approved 30 items of new business, including:

• A contract for professional services between NFCSD and the Niagara Falls Boys & Girls Club for the 716 United Mentoring Program (Sept. 26, 2020 – June 30, 2025)
• A contract for professional services between NFCSD and Niagara University for Early College High School Programming (Sept. 26, 2025–Aug 2026)
• A contract for consulting services between NFCSD and Winning Because I Tried Enterprises, Inc. for student support (Sept. 26, 2025–Dec 31, 2025)
• Consulting contract between NFCSD and Native Language Services, LLC for student support (Sept. 26, 2025 – Dec. 31, 2025).
• A contract between Say Yes Buffalo and the NFCSD

Superintendent’s Report:

• Superintendent Laurrie congratulated the nine August 2025 graduates and announced that the graduation rate for the class of 2025 is 87%.

• The SMART device (cellphone) ban continues to go well. NFCSD students are following the policy with very few reminders needed. The superintendent thanked students for cooperating with the ban.
• The second October 2025 Board of Education meeting has been rescheduled and will take place on Wednesday, October 15, 2025.
• The Homecoming football game and the Homecoming Dance took place on Saturday, September 27
• The news conference regarding the NFCSD’s partnership with Sleep in Heavenly Peace received considerable media coverage. The district has received numerous requests for beds. Program donations have reached $20,000, including a $10,000 check from John Cousins, one of the program's originators.
• Say Yes Saturday Academy begins October 4 at Cataract Elementary. The program's pep rally is Tuesday, September 30, 2025, at Abate Elementary.
• Congratulations to Hyde Park teacher Ahmari Jenkins. Her class’s video about their enthusiasm for science and fossil exploration won them a field trip to Penn Dixie Fossil Park and Nature Reserve in Hamburg, NY. The field trip and contest were sponsored by Dion Dawkins of the Buffalo Bills and his organization, Dion’s Dreamers.
• The external financial audit of the district has begun.
• Thank you to our schools- students, staff members, and parents/guardians - for a fantastic start to the new school year.

The next meeting of the City of Niagara Falls School District Board of Education will be held on Thursday, October 9, 2025, at 5:30 PM.