School Board notes

The Niagara Falls City School District (NFCSD) Board of Education met on Thursday, February 12, 2026, for a board review session meeting.

Mr. James Ieraci, father of a special education student in the Lewiston-Porter Central School District, provided his thoughts on the structure of the special education system in New York State and how he feels it can be improved. He shared that altering the pace of learning in sync with the individual student is most effective. He said that currently all students are learning the same material, even though they do not have the same interests and skills. He suggests that New York State should design each child’s pathway to graduation, not in a uniform way; rather, students should be offered individual curricula tailored to their interests and skills. Ieraci called for continuing conversations on this topic.

Administrator for School Business Services Julie Jacklin reviewed the latest version of the 2026 – 2027 NFCSD budget. An update on the budget will be presented at every board meeting until the board budget vote on May 19, 2026. The proposed spending plan has increased by 4.64% from last year's. The district has a current budget gap of $7.6 million. The total budget as of this writing is $211,893,214 and does not include any cuts to services currently offered.

Recommended Actions from the Superintendent of Schools

Superintendent Mark Laurrie reviewed 17 short-term contracts up for a vote at the next board meeting (on February 26, 2026), including four contracts for Black History Month activities:

• Vibrant Strings Performance for Black History Month Celebration at Gaskill Prep School
• She Drums – the organization will work with students on rhythm, coordination, and self-expression. She Drums will visit two district schools

Laurrie also recommended the approval of seven short-term contracts for Say Yes Niagara Falls Saturday Academies, including:

• Families Armed Toward Excellence (FATE) for STEM learning experiences
• Mini Books – participants create personal books
• Buffalo Zoo - animal ambassadors
• SPCA – Educational programming with animals
• Thera-Pony, LLC – interaction with miniature horses

Resolutions:

The superintendent recommended an affirmative vote on eight resolutions, including the following:

• Acceptance of funds for 2025/2026 Indian Education Grant
• Acceptance of funds for Pathways in Technology Early College High School grant
• Acceptance of funds for the 2025/2026 School-Based Mental Health Providers Pipeline
• Approval of contract between Say Yes Buffalo and the Niagara Falls City School District (NFCSD)

Superintendent’s Report

• Fourth grader Amir Jones, who needed a kidney, received one and is recovering from the transplant.
• Thank you to Ka-Shara Ashley and Carleen Krysa at NFHS for facilitating a community service day for students from Niagara Falls High School (NFHS), North Tonawanda High School, and Niagara Wheatfield High School
• The district is conducting a SMART device ban survey (a link to the survey is on the district website www.nfschools.net)
• Congratulations to the NFHS Boys Bowling Team for being named Niagara Frontier League (NFL) champions
• Congratulations to Allie Ventry for achieving the highest score total this season on the NFHS Girls’ Bowling Team
• Congratulations to Marianna Porter, a fourth-grade student at Harry F. Abate School, for her winning design of this year’s Walk the World T-shirt.
• Congratulations to NFHS Big Picture Student Kahdeja Menka. The ninth-grader wrote a Black History Month poem that will be published in a national magazine
• Thank you to the following groups for recent generous donations to the Sleep in Heavenly Peace program:
• Alpha Delta Kappa, the retired teachers sorority, donated a large quantity of linens and $185.00
• The Whirlpool Mother’s Club donated a large quantity of linens
• Intandem – donated a large quantity of linens
• Grace Lutheran Church donated $3,000
• 
  
• Thank you to teacher Ronni McGrath and all other teachers who organized the annual STEM Elementary Science Fair on February 10, 2026. Congratulations to the winners:

4th Grade:

1st place Michael Cornelious (Hyde Park)

5th Grade:

1st place Grace Misterkiewicz (GJ Mann)

2nd place Carter Dixon (GJ Mann)

3rd place D'evereaux Jacas (Hyde Park)

6th Grade:

1st place Melody Daugherty (Hyde Park)

2nd place Zoe Bellavia (GJ Mann)

3rd place Derek Copelin (GJ Mann)

Elementary Robotics Competition:

1st place teams:

"HydraBots" from GJ Mann- Derek Copelin, Brandon Brady, Scarlett Strange, Adelena Kutis, and “Carl Jr.” Ethan Lewis

With appreciation for five years of service, the board of education accepted the resignation of Michael Capizzi effective February 12, 2026.

The next meeting of the Niagara Falls City School District Board of Education will be on Thursday, February 26, 2026, at 5:30 p.m.