School Board meeting recap

The Niagara Falls City School District (NFCSD) Board of Education met on Thursday, January 8, 2026, for a board review session.

Members of the Niagara Falls High School (NFHS) Native American Heritage Club made a presentation about Native Heritage Month and the Haudenosaunee Flag. The presenters explained parts of the Haudenosaunee Culture, including sweetgrass, beading and jewelry, corn-husk dolls, Lacrosse, and moccasins. The Haudenosaunee Confederacy consists of the Seneca, Cayuga, Onondaga, Oneida, Mohawk, and Tuscarora nations. Each nation is represented symbolically on the Haudenosaunee Flag/Hiawatha Belt. The group discussed Wampum beads, small, polished shell beads used by Northeastern Indigenous peoples for ceremonial, spiritual, and diplomatic purposes, including the recording of agreements and laws. The goal of the Confederacy is to live in harmony.

Representatives of the New York State School Boards Association (NYSSBA) presented the NFCSD with a Champions of Change award for its Trauma-Informed Care Student Program. The program consists of trauma-informed champions working to improve the mental health of all NFCSD students. For the past three years, the State University of New York at Buffalo’s Institute on Trauma and Trauma-Informed Care has trained teachers, staff, and students in recognizing and coping with trauma.

Dr. Lynette Haley O’Stewart provided an update on the Early Head Start/Head Start (EHS/HS) program in Niagara County. EHS/HS is in the fifth year of its affiliation with the NFCSD. In January 2026, New York State received formal notice from the Administration for Children and Families (ACF) of a freeze on federal funding for several critical programs essential to supporting children and families across the state. Among these is the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF), which supports child care services, including the Child Care Assistance Program (CCAP). The Office of Child and Family Services (OCFS) is reviewing the communication and considering all available options. More information is forthcoming. There is no impact to EHS/HS programs, including CCAP, at this time. There is concern that this could impact Head Start funding in the future.

As of January 8, 2026, EHS serves 41 children with special needs, and HS serves 77. Highlights for EHS/HS in 2026 include:

• Dental Screenings w/ University Pediatric Dentistry Partnership
• Parent committees established and active in both HS and EHS
• The establishment of a Health Advisory Committee made up of over 40 health professionals and community-based providers
• 100% of children have health insurance for all four years of the EHS/HS program
• 100% of immunizations completed and up-to-date
• A deeper dive into Trauma-Informed Care
• The establishment of a Trauma-Informed Care Champion Team
• Expansion of the Trauma-Informed Care partnership with the State University of New York at Buffalo

The NFCSD is applying for a grant to run EHS/HS for the next five years.

Routine Matters

The superintendent recommended the approval of ten short-term contracts including:

Short-Term Contracts:

• A short-term contract with the Iron Workers Local 9 Apprenticeship fund for OSHA training (50 NFCSD students will receive OSHA 10 cards this school year)
• A short-term contract with the Buffalo Museum of Science to provide engineering and alternative energy activities at the District-Wide Science Fair
• A short-term contract with Niagara University to provide Intro to Sociology as a college credit-bearing class (65 NFHS students will take the class)
• Three short-term contracts for Say Yes Niagara Falls Saturday Academies

Resolutions:

The superintendent recommended passage of 17 resolutions, including:

• Acceptance of $2,399,992 for Federal Idea (Education of Students with Disabilities Act) Funding
• Approval of contract with Read to Succeed
• Approval of contract for consulting services with Project L.E.E. Inc. for student support services (225 students take part in this program)
• Approval of an agreement with Buffalo Federation of Neighborhood Centers for consulting services in the area of crime prevention
• Approval of agreement with the Niagara County Department of Social Services, creating a crime prevention collaborative partnership
• Approval of agreement for renewal of lease with Ink Labs Buffalo, LLC to furnish, install, and maintain Evolv Express hardware and software for 2026 - 2030

Superintendent’s Report

• Congratulations to Maggie Adams and Ella Magnusen for participating on the NFCSD hockey team
• The Cap of the Game hat quarterback Josh Allen wore at the Buffalo Bills vs. New York Jets game on January 4, 2026, was designed by LaSalle Prep student Morgan Dale. At each game, Allen wears and auctions custom hats designed by patients at Oishei Children’s Hospital as part of the Patricia Allen Fund initiative, supporting critical care for children at the hospital, with all proceeds from the signed hats going to the fund
• Congratulations to NFHS ninth-grader Carmella Vilardo, daughter of NFCSD Committee on Special Education Chairperson Cheryl Vilardo, for being named to the 4th All New York State soccer team and Collette Printer for being named to the 5th All New York State Soccer Team
• Congratulations to NFHS wrestlers Cam Crumpler and Kayden Feagin for being invited to the highly competitive Eastern States Wrestling Competition
• Ten NFHS students will be traveling to Tanzania this summer, tuition-free, courtesy of the Young Women’s Empowerment Academy and Mona’s House

The next meeting of the Niagara Falls City School District Board of Education will be on Thursday, January 22, 2026, at 5:30 p.m.