The Niagara Falls City School District’s search for a new superintendent is being called into question by the Falls branch of the NAACP.
In a sharply worded letter to Board of Education President Anthony Paretto, NAACP Branch President Renae Kimble writes that the civil rights group is “deeply concerned” about what they describe as a “rushed process” to replace retiring schools superintendent Mark Laurrie. Kimble also questions the school board’s failure to engage in a candidate search outside of current Falls district employees.
“We are deeply concerned by the extremely short timeline for the current internal search, reportedly running from September 29, 2025, through October 20, 2025,” Kimble wrote to Paretto. “A three-week period is a rushed process that severely limits the candidate pool and prevents the board from adequately considering all options. This compressed timeline raises serious questions about the transparency and integrity of the search, and it jeopardizes our community’s trust in the process.”
Laurrie announced his intention to step down from his post, after 42 years in the school district, in early October. He has been the district superintendent since 2016.
In an interview with the Gazette, Laurrie said the district is looking to hire his replacement by January. Laurrie said he intends to stay on with the school district until the end of the school year to assist the new superintendent with the transition process.
In her letter, Kimble wrote that the NAACP has been troubled by academic performance data from the New York State Department of Education that has found the Falls school district to be “underperforming.” Kimble charged that Falls students’ proficiency in math and reading falls “well below state standards.”
“This has led to deep educational inequities for a significant portion of our student population. This is unacceptable and requires decisive action,” she wrote.
Kimble wrote in her letter that the NAACP believes the school board needs to conduct a broad, nationwide search for its next superintendent to “secure the most qualified leader possible for our students and community.” The civil rights organization called for the school board to hire an independent search firm to seek out a candidate for the superintendent’s post, “with input from the community.”
“The next superintendent must be a leader who is a visionary and innovative problem solver, capable of adapting to new state requirements and reversing the trend of academic underperformance (in the district),” Kimble wrote.
The NAACP leaders suggested that the board should look for a superintendent candidate who is “culturally responsive and socially aware, committed to addressing (the) deep-seated inequities that have plagued our district for too long.”
Kimble’s letter asks for a response from the school board by today.
School Board President Anthony Paretto confirmed Thursday evening that the board has received the NAACP letter.
“When we get a letter like that, we turn it over to our lawyers,” Paretto said, without indicating what legal issues the letter may have raised.
Paretto told a reporter, “We don’t publicly discuss personnel matters,” and said the board has no current plans to expand its search for Laurrie’s replacement beyond its current employees.
“Getting a replacement for Mr. Laurrie will be tough,” Paretto said. “We’re not gonna hire a search firm. We intend to look at our local postings first.”
Paretto argued that conducting a national search for a new superintendent would be complicated by the district’s residency requirements. But he also acknowledged that candidates have a grace period to move into the district if they’re hired.
The school board president repeatedly told a reporter, “We haven’t interviewed anyone yet,” and “Nobody has guaranteed a job to anybody.”
In her letter to Paretto and the school board, Kimble argues that limiting the superintendent search would be harmful to district students.
“A national search is necessary to attract a diverse pool of experienced candidates with a proven track record of implementing innovative, data-driven strategies and fostering culturally responsive learning environments,” Kimble said. “It is extremely important to have candidates who can bring successful strategies for addressing complex challenges that our district is facing, such as reversing long-term academic underperformance. An outside leader brings a fresh set of eyes to the district, free from institutional biases and a ‘status quo’ mindset.”
Kimble also pointed to the recent hiring of a new superintendent for the Buffalo public schools, after a nationwide search.
“This search included extensive community feedback through surveys and focus groups,” she wrote. “As a fellow urban district, we must also ensure that community and stakeholder voices are central to our own decision-making processes. Their approach serves as a reminder of the value of broad community engagement in shaping our district’s future.”