School Board notes

The Niagara Falls City School District (NFCSD) Board of Education met on Thursday, January 22, 2026, for its regular meeting.

Administrator for School Business Services Julie Jacklin presented the first iteration of the 2026 – 2027 school budget. An update on the budget will be presented at every board meeting until the board and budget vote on May 19, 2025. The district is piecing together a sound spending plan without knowing what New York State lawmakers plan to spend on Foundation Aid. The proposed budget has increased by 4% from last year's. The district has a current budget gap of $7.6 million. The total budget as of this writing is $211,029,509.

Recommended Actions from the Superintendent of Schools

The Board of Education approved ten short-term contracts, including:

Short-Term Contracts:

• A contract with Iron Workers Local 9 Apprenticeship Fund for OSHA training (50 NFCSD students will receive OSHA 10 cards this year)
• A contract with the Buffalo Museum of Science for engineering and alternative energy activities at the District-Wide Science Fair
• A contract with Niagara University for 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 Board of Education passed 18 resolutions, including:

• Approval of a contract with Niagara Falls City School District Principal on Special Assignment, Stanley J. Wojton, for terms, conditions, and benefits as the new superintendent of schools
• Acceptance of $2,399,992 for Federal Idea (Education of Students with Disabilities Act) Funding
• A contract with Read to Succeed
• A contract for consulting services with Project L.E.E. Inc. for student support services (225 students take part in this program)
• An agreement with the Buffalo Federation of Neighborhood Centers for consulting services in the area of crime prevention
• An agreement with the Niagara County Department of Social Services, creating a crime prevention collaborative partnership
• Approval to renew the district’s lease agreement with Ink Labs Buffalo, LLC to furnish, install, and maintain Evolv Express hardware and software for the years 2026 through 2030

Superintendent’s Report

• On Saturday, January 31, 2026, from 9:00 a.m. - 2:30 p.m., NFHS will host its first New York State Robotics Tournament. Thank you to our robotics staff for making this happen
• Our next Say Yes Niagara Falls Saturday Academy will be held at Gaskill on Saturday, January 31, 2026, from 9:00 a.m. – noon (rescheduled from January 24, 2026, due to forecasted inclement weather)
• RaShayla Rodgers, a fifth-grade student from Abate Elementary, has been selected for the Niagara Falls City Youth Committee
• On February 4, 2026, Niagara Falls High School will host Niagara Wheatfield High School and North Tonawanda High School students for a community service day
• On the recent NFCSD Fiscal Stress Report, the district was shown to be under no financial stress
• The recently completed district internal audit had no findings of needed corrections
• The district will soon make a formal announcement of a $500,000 grant to Say Yes Niagara, which will help the endowment fund move closer to its $2 million goal for scholarships to help students attend trades schools or Say Yes colleges. The goal is to start honoring Say Yes Niagara tuition assistance for the class of 2027

The next meeting of the Niagara Falls City School District Board of Education will be on Thursday, February 12, 2026, at 5:30 p.m.