[{"_1":2,"_111":-5,"_112":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87,99],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},"mediaId",6241545,"mediaKeyId","3255522-ba3cfcd6f23ae00dbc8a1e7914ea76bd","parentId",3255522,"title","Board recognizes Falcons of the Month; Eric Road principal Miss O’Brien honored ahead of assistant‑superintendent appointment","audioSeconds",485,"startMs",31000,"endMs",516000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=3255522-ba3cfcd6f23ae00dbc8a1e7914ea76bd&start=31&end=516","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3255522-ba3cfcd6f23ae00dbc8a1e7914ea76bd/thumbnail_31000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6241545/New-York/Board-recognizes-Falcons-of-the-Month-Eric-Road-principal-Miss-OBrien-honored-ahead-of-assistantsuperintendent-appointment","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6241545-38a2d8436f18c5c2dcc199f4e3188b33/orig.mp4?Expires=1771159761&Signature=GGYS4GFyBHoPf6-yiyk897WbeVzss-OeJeN01Ioh1NHost3h0mxDUwJm~9SOhqW6QjAPfhCI5BYwHgYAKudtRwMojXph3Qb9HIJnVhKslkRTtfd3ksH3fQ8G7E9Qt6TNdFroGxBzNn5LA3eHNdSRhPb2fKAI8hcHJ2pW1hxtTQBl-jteFdvwL9fFamKMshGqC9sp9Gh7EnK~gpTh7UcwCO4Q8JkfrLqtQvlG7WVWIr8VyxPmvsgoYRSKyD7l18YSWb71Y-Av426CQViDE6T7TTGb096B8cj-UHqt4kcPL7JC1O02x8ei~-S-DbT1WNJ0dO6aKB1dSLAeY2ytwITNVQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-05-08T13:42:24Z","article","The Niagara‑Wheatfield Central School District Board of Education opened its meeting with recognitions including Falcons of the Month, trustee awards and a staff retirement/promotion acknowledgment.

President Ward introduced the Falcons of the Month. The board read certificates recognizing several students chosen by individual schools as representatives; named students included Avery Antonelli, Autumn Rodriguez, Jason Kaye and Thomas World (full list read at the meeting). The board said the student awards recognize values and citizenship traits the district emphasizes.

The board also honored Miss O’Brien, identified in the meeting as principal at Eric Road Elementary School, for more than two decades in leadership at Eric Road. According to remarks during the meeting, Miss O’Brien began in the district in 1999 as an English teacher, later served as a teacher on special assignment and in administrative internship positions, became assistant principal and then principal at Eric Road, and has held a leadership role there for the past 21 years. The superintendent announced Miss O’Brien is moving on to an assistant‑superintendent position and praised her long service; Miss O’Brien thanked the board and reflected on her years in the district.

Separately, the board called out recognition from the New York State School Boards Association (NYSBA) — a board member, Robert McDermott, was noted in the program as receiving a board mastery/board excellence recognition for professional development and leadership roles.

Why this matters: the recognitions highlight student achievement and longtime staff service; the principal’s move to an assistant‑superintendent role signals an upcoming leadership change at the Eric Road Elementary School building.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Board of Education Meeting 5/7/2025","oneSentenceSummary","The board honored district students as Falcons of the Month, presented N‑Y School Boards Association awards to trustees, and recognized Miss O’Brien for more than two decades of leadership at Eric Road Elementary School as she moves to an assistant‑superintendent role.","taxTitle","NIAGARA-WHEATFIELD CENTRAL SCHOOL DISTRICT, School Districts, New York","taxId",38843,"location","New York","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6241550,"Board appoints Eric Scalise to fill French‑teacher position",100,2236000,2336000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3255522-ba3cfcd6f23ae00dbc8a1e7914ea76bd&start=2236&end=2336","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3255522-ba3cfcd6f23ae00dbc8a1e7914ea76bd/thumbnail_2236000.jpg","/articles/6241550/New-York/Board-appoints-Eric-Scalise-to-fill-Frenchteacher-position","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6241550-e6e9b4ad3ab67ac1981a5ebaa282b8fc/orig.mp4?Expires=1771159761&Signature=GKoINC9zwXeFAsxMPTrFNyQ91~Nbh4mT1pd2WkY~sBPM5pGsi7TRoZUOZThoo0gFo5HQX1zx-vAjFTKNkU6Vu598jaTyz5v~FAgHuABIlnh~s-cRVkzC19In8EzwdQbdtiJZ9nbSZ3mheMzCHVQFYZOLeduEIiXYD8G448~Xv2mAC6L~ILJXD9IlDPOZthhQcDQe9Zf1bPdEF8hyBeUROL5wq9ax~SUxUivtMXJHmr9xBouKeah1viOWugSzdFk1yqdypzYjIfzjnbEb0fzmIrGdoUobdiKAQncN~H1gTHpg0Kkm0SDBsbuJrTQv-~YdprHe8tiuAAMz6MQGKrTE-Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Niagara‑Wheatfield Central School District Board of Education voted to appoint Eric Scalise to a French teacher position at the high school.

Stuart Schneck (introduced at the meeting as a staff member handling personnel items) presented Eric Scalise, noting Scalise is a Grand Island native who attended Hofstra University and the University at Buffalo and is multilingual in French and Spanish. Schneck said Scalise has been active in community extracurriculars, including umpiring with Grand Island Little League for 12 years, and that Scalise attended the meeting with family members. The board asked for support for the appointment and called the motion; the transcript records the voice vote with members saying “Aye.”

No roll‑call vote tally or names of mover/second were recorded in the public transcript. The appointment was included on the meeting’s personnel consent items and was approved by voice vote as part of that agenda sequence.

Why this matters: the appointment fills an instructional staff vacancy in modern‑language instruction at the district high school; the candidate’s local ties and language background were noted during the introduction.","The board approved the appointment of Eric Scalise as a French teacher at Niagara‑Wheatfield High School after an introduction by district staff; the appointment was approved by voice vote at the meeting.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":92,"_47":93,"_49":94,"_51":95,"_53":96,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":97,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":98,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6241555,"Parent urges clearer, age‑appropriate discipline policy and due‑process protections at Niagara‑Wheatfield",281,1867000,2148000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3255522-ba3cfcd6f23ae00dbc8a1e7914ea76bd&start=1867&end=2148","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3255522-ba3cfcd6f23ae00dbc8a1e7914ea76bd/thumbnail_1867000.jpg","/articles/6241555/New-York/Parent-urges-clearer-ageappropriate-discipline-policy-and-dueprocess-protections-at-NiagaraWheatfield","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6241555-2a439165d5746302b887272d8194dcef/orig.mp4?Expires=1771159761&Signature=RsHw6TCYGyzY43TbDWuqWer6pvLimKd-dugzJ6cadWIM2SvtNYRNWp-0NVNynaus1PYDl6RtG9-raBZ0boe6TkFYsAXFxbVUvxugUmWyVIznr4i1qPcJXnd6RNURzXrhBnBiZKErLq3KutmGcKU~9osNzze~vvG1yt6FkWhGP3PQfOeTpoipKIT2HP3U2wVjzihMqfxoqvri6wCjufWGkg3bls2Kd3oHYxga9HAwhfPYawOHPjV2LW0fG~c--c8dH-PbBvtABIt27a6RTKBUEVGNhKEbVAMROooQtprjjRVtAK3gGATBY-1GESRYtK-fQKNAFB921FePmDs3~IhsIw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","A resident and parent delivered a public comment to the Niagara‑Wheatfield Central School District Board of Education calling for revisions to the student handbook, saying it applies adult legal language to children and lacks clear due‑process protections.

The parent — who identified themself as a concerned parent and community advocate — said the handbook’s use of terms such as “defamation” can criminalize normal childhood interactions and that the district’s handbooks and board policy manual are not aligned. The speaker invoked New York education law, asserting the law entitles students to a “fair, transparent, and lawful disciplinary process,” and asked the board to adopt an age‑appropriate code of conduct with clear notice, hearing and appeals procedures.

The parent asked the board to: clarify disciplinary definitions, remove or reframe legal terminology that they described as inappropriate for children, ensure handbooks match board policies and website materials, and explicitly protect due process for students and families. The speaker framed the requested changes as both legal and educational: “The function of education is to teach one to think intensively and to think critically,” the speaker quoted, saying the handbook should support growth rather than punitive scrutiny.

Board members did not record a formal response or a motion to change policy during the meeting; the remarks were presented during the public‑comment period and the transcript shows no immediate board action on the specific policy changes requested.

Why this matters: the parent’s remarks raise questions about how the district defines misconduct and informs families about disciplinary procedures. The speaker explicitly requested board action to revise handbooks and align policies with due‑process standards.","At the meeting's public‑comment period, a parent criticized the district student handbook for using legal terminology such as “defamation” against students, said the handbooks lack clear due‑process protections and urged the board to align handbooks with board policy and state law.",{"_33":100,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":101,"_41":102,"_43":103,"_45":104,"_47":105,"_49":106,"_51":107,"_53":108,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":109,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":110,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6241559,"Niagara‑Wheatfield board holds official budget hearing; proposes 0.64% tax-levy increase and $91.1 million budget",1095,2885000,3980000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=3255522-ba3cfcd6f23ae00dbc8a1e7914ea76bd&start=2885&end=3980","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/3255522-ba3cfcd6f23ae00dbc8a1e7914ea76bd/thumbnail_2885000.jpg","/articles/6241559/New-York/NiagaraWheatfield-board-holds-official-budget-hearing-proposes-064-tax-levy-increase-and-911-million-budget","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6241559-f3dfb9110773c4d5834924ac41f87da5/orig.mp4?Expires=1771159761&Signature=CpTEqX9ceVXFoSl~Fhx2smo0jtutS0GdUnFe5rvqyJwsoH3RYLl8nOUmzcc3Tpy5IHLScML4nAAt2DG65ogB~yqZLfZVig9v-s7Egh5FqlMr0N1j3MtLWKC9sBA5DPgpHzlGtjuQiPzVzxZqJmFGc6Q915JzHlMBC-qrvB0kl02NLFQpJtj2WrJV9nGiKP--9XPfnuLr2mggoAIHSVxhp0Y03vfULlwytmjZ5~WC7-N0YdQr99xDtZvr~k5CKLlJyx5gU0MudOzJN1dsZICYwwPjSd6sKwG0g92z5AkP0xJaFnqbNH9MFK26s9CS7oiEMM3NpPNHT3wfGQWteZKRGg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Niagara‑Wheatfield Central School District Board of Education held an official budget hearing in advance of the district budget vote and trustee election scheduled for May 20, presenting a proposed 2024–25 general fund budget of $91,099,697.

The district’s business office presented the budget package, saying the board approved going to the levy limit this year and that the levy limit plus exclusions results in a $37,506,701 tax levy, a 0.64% increase over the prior year — described in the presentation as an additional $240,147. District staff said that increase is less than one percentage point and emphasized it is 0.64%, not 6.4% or 64%.

The hearing placed the proposed tax levy and budget in the context of state aid and reserves. Presenters said the governor’s executive budget proposal would raise total state support for public schools, and the district’s draft numbers reflect that executive proposal rather than a final legislative appropriation. The presentation listed total state aid for the district at about $82,469,569 (an increase of roughly $2.9 million or 7.61% compared with the prior year in the executive proposal) and noted the foundation aid increase was driven in part by 2020 census data and enrollment/poverty changes in the district.

District officials described how the $91.1 million expenditure budget is expected to be funded: approximately $84 million in expected revenues and $6.3 million in planned uses of reserves and appropriated fund balance. Specific reserve uses highlighted in the presentation include approximately $946,000 from the transportation reserve to purchase buses and facility vehicles, $200,000 from the technology reserve to purchase student devices, and an interfund transfer tied to an existing host community/gateway fund. Additional reserve applications named were $500,000 from the workers’ compensation reserve, $450,000 from the employee benefits reserve, and $750,000 each from ERS and TRS reserves; the remaining balance would be funded with about $1.9 million of appropriated fund balance.

Presenters also reviewed long‑term capital plans and reserves: multiple capital transportation and capital technology reserves were listed, and the business office said some reserves are at statutory or board‑set limits (so new reserves were proposed if more funding is required). The administration noted a May 20 ballot proposition for a new capital improvements reserve up to $10,000,000; the presentation said $2,000,000 is currently available to move into that reserve if voters approve the proposition.

The hearing included operational issues tied to statewide policy goals. Presenters said that converting the district’s fleet to electric school buses faces two main constraints: funding and infrastructure. The presentation noted electric buses cost roughly three times a conventional bus and that a district survey with NYPA and other partners showed 14 current bus runs are too long to be served by available electric bus range without rerouting or additional buses and drivers. The district said additional buses would require more drivers, a nontrivial constraint regionally and nationally.

There were no final budget approvals taken at the hearing; the district encouraged the public to vote in the May 20 budget election. The business office invited questions and said it would provide updated dates and materials to the community, and that the board will present final meeting dates for the coming year at a subsequent meeting.

The district identified May 20 as the budget‑vote date and asked voters to attend the High School ALC polling site between 8 a.m. and 9 p.m.

Why this matters: voters will decide whether to adopt the proposed spending plan and the related capital reserve proposition on May 20; the proposed levy increase is within the district’s stated levy limit and the budget relies on planned reserves and state aid assumptions that could change if the state budget differs from the executive proposal.","At an official budget hearing, district officials reviewed the proposed $91,099,697 general fund budget, a 0.64% levy increase (about $240,147), planned use of reserves, state‑aid assumptions tied to the governor's executive budget and operational challenges tied to converting to electric buses.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Board recognizes Falcons of the Month; Eric Road principal Miss O’Brien honored ahead of assistant‑superintendent appointment

Board appoints Eric Scalise to fill French‑teacher position

Parent urges clearer, age‑appropriate discipline policy and due‑process protections at Niagara‑Wheatfield

Niagara‑Wheatfield board holds official budget hearing; proposes 0.64% tax-levy increase and $91.1 million budget