Falls voters gave overwhelming approval to the city school district’s proposed 2024-25 budget Tuesday night and re-elected an incumbent and tapped a newcomer to take two seats on the Board of Education.
The board’s recommended $190,000 budget sailed to approval by an 84.33% margin with a 1,507-208 vote. The wide margin of victory was important to the school district after Superintendent Mark Laurrie noted that a “quirk in state law” required that the budget proposal be passed by a minimum of 60% of the district’s voters in order to take effect.
Laurrie said for a 10th straight year the proposed budget did not increase the property tax levy and had no reductions in either staffing or programs at the district’s schools.
A five-way race to fill two vacancies on the Board of Education saw incumbent Board Member Nick Vilardo locked in a tight race with newcomer Brad McLeod throughout the vote counting. The candidates jockeyed between first and second place before the final reporting district put Vilardo over the top with 866 votes.
McLeod finished second with 842 votes to claim the other open school board seat.
“It was nip and tuck for a while,” Vilardo said. “I’m honored and humbled to be re-elected to the board. I’ll continue to work for the best interests of the children and taxpayers of Niagara Falls.”
Vilardo also promised to continue to work to improve graduation rates in the district as he begins a fifth five-year term.
McLeod, a young parent, who will have a daughter attending the district schools beginning next year, ran his first campaign for the school board with the backing of the Falls schools’ teachers union. He hammered the issue of school safety in his campaign.
“If a child is not safe at school, if a child does not feel safe at school, very little else matters,” McLeod said. “Parents have to feel confident that their child will be safe.”
Finishing third in the balloting, with 751 votes was well-known youth baseball supporter and businessman Jerry Puleo. Puleo, who also ran for the first time with the backing of the teacher’s union, had promised to advocate for policies that “prioritize transparency, communication, teacher inclusion, teacher recruitment and school safety.”
“By being open, we can build trust within our community and organization and ensure that all stakeholders are informed and involved in the decision-making process,” Puleo said.
Retired Niagara Falls deputy police superintendent and recent mayoral candidate Carlton Cain, making his first run for the school board, finished fourth with 576 votes. Cain had stressed an extensive background in education, including time as the co-director at the Niagara County Law Enforcement Academy.
Portland Jackson, a former community organizer at Niagara Organizing Alliance for Hope (NOAH) and current case manager and Housing Authority service coordinator for Heart, Love & Soul finished fifth in the balloting with 416 votes.
Lewiston-Porter
Residents approved the 2024-25 budget by a vote of 624-242.
A second proposition, a $11.15 million capital improvement project involving the district’s athletic facilities and the addition of solar panels to district buildings, also passed by a vote of 609-240.
School board candidates Sara Ohanessian (547 votes) and Tessa Connelly (530) were elected to the school board. Candidate Steven J. Tarnowski finished with 446 votes.
Niagara Wheatfield
District residents approved the district’s 2024-25 budget by a vote of 624-277.
In addition, residents approved three additional propositions — To spend up to $810,000 to buy school buses; To spend $200,000 to buy technology equipment.
Elected to the three open school board seats were Richard Sirianni (607 votes), Craig Guilliani (542) and Wendy Cox (502). Steve Sabo finished with 487 votes.
Proposition 2: To spend up to $810,000 from reserve funds to buy buses. Yes, 671; No, 227.
Proposition 3: To spend up to $200,000 from reserve funds to buy technology equipment. Yes, 694; No, 203.
Candidates (Elect 3): Craig Guiliani, 542; Steven Sabo (i), 487; Wendy Cox, 502; Richard Sirianni (i), 607.
North Tonawanda
Residents approved the 2024-25 budget by a vote of 477-117.
A second proposition authorizing a $40 million capital project to be completed in two phases over the course of the next four years involving all district buildings as well as the purchase of four 65-passenger school buses passed by a vote of 443-119.
The three school board candidates — Kaitlyn Baker, Stephanie Emiliani and Krista Vince Garland — were elected to the three open seats.