To enhance its commitment to keeping its constituents well-informed, the Niagara Falls City School District Board of Education will be providing summaries of its bi-weekly board meetings. Here are the notes from its March 14 meeting.
Presentations
Stanford University Credits — The Board of Education honored 10 Niagara Falls High School students who recently received college credit from Stanford University. Assistant Director, Project Innovation & Technology, Stanford University, Michael Acedo and Niagara Falls High School teacher Danielle Depalma distributed framed certificates and cords for graduation to the students for completing the same introductory computer science course hundreds of Stanford undergraduates have taken over the past three decades.
The NFHS students who completed the Stanford University course are: Asa Gates, Josiah Walker, Josiah Marple, Angelic Adkins, Jesse Townsend, L Anthony Townsend, Hajira Imran, Kiaire Fields, Emma Beckles, and Faiza Hossain
2024/25 Proposed Budget Update — The district has increased its New York state foundation aid projection by $500,000 since the last Board of Education meeting (on Feb. 22. BOCES aid includes the purchase of new laptops for all fourth-, fifth- and sixth-graders. The NFCSD is facing a budget gap of $7 million and will have to utilize its reserve funds. The budget will require a 60% super majority of votes to pass.
There are no cuts to staff or programs for our students in the proposed budget, which currently stands at $190,812,049.
If the budget does not pass, the district will no longer be able to provide basic school supplies, bus students who live less than a mile and a half to a mile from school, the district will have to charge an upfront fee to organizations wanting to use its facilities.
New Business
Superintendent Laurrie recommended passage of the following items that are up for a vote at the board’s next regular meeting today.
• Approval of Acceptance of funds for the 2023/2024 Title I Part A, Title II Part A and Title IV Grants in the amount of $300,000 for Basic School Improvement as under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act (ESEA).
• Approval of Acceptance of funds for the 2023/2024 Title 1 Part A Improving Academic Achievement, Title II Part A, Teacher/Principal Training and Title IV, Part A , Grants (Student Support and Academic Enrichment Program – SSAE). The total of these three grants is $5,992,545.00. The goals of SSAE are: (1) provide all students with access to a well-rounded education, (2) improve school conditions for student learning, and (3) improve the use of technology in order to improve the academic achievement and digital learning of all students.
Superintendent’s Report
On Friday, the men’s Wolverines Basketball Team departed for the state championships in style with a police escort, the Wolverine Marching Band, Wolverine cheerleaders (who took the trip with the team) and many fans cheering them on thanking them for an exciting season.
On Monday we held our first ever special education parent group meeting. We are expecting great success with this group.
Schools will be closed on April 8 – Eclipse Day.
Thank you to the Niagara Falls Public Library for donating 7,500 eclipse glasses to the district. The glasses will be distributed to students on Friday, the last day before spring vacation.
Accolades to the organizers and students at the All District Elementary Science Fair and Expo on March 13. Especially impressive were the fourth graders who programmed their own cars to race.
Congratulations to the four students from LaSalle Prep robotics teams who have qualified for the world championships and will be traveling to Dallas, Texas to compete on May 1, 2 and 3.
Remember to attend the NFCSD 2024 Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Awards Celebration on Tuesday, April 16 at 6 p.m. at Bloneva Bond Primary
The district’s recent PreK audit was stellar. The audit had no financial issues detected and programmatic work just needs a few small improvements.
The next Niagara Falls City School District Board of Education meeting is today at 6:30 p.m. at the Niagara Falls City School District Administration Building, 630 66th St.