[{"_1":2,"_94":-5,"_95":-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],{"_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",6076726,"mediaKeyId","2968088-164f81113da3308f6605e15ac56456cf","parentId",2968088,"title","District previews summer student programs and summer professional development; Science of Reading attestation planned","audioSeconds",708,"startMs",2122000,"endMs",2830000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2968088-164f81113da3308f6605e15ac56456cf&start=2122&end=2830","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2968088-164f81113da3308f6605e15ac56456cf/thumbnail_2122000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6076726/New-York/District-previews-summer-student-programs-and-summer-professional-development-Science-of-Reading-attestation-planned","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6076726-fa1d008b30600b5bd0a28b7689dd06a7/orig.mp4?Expires=1771157489&Signature=Js~xs2lKBDiyX~ug4mKfXmn~DCEeO03lBLyrXO2237Xr0raBPbI7d3LfYJRD-kgoSwLq13b42m0aQvL78m3hOu1yidnRYXl1XYJImlQ47Oa~8a4tZaJ1hc5GWeK7AHwuCWChcc-pTM8bNb90o6uIoP8ymY7YTEmX90VJcjN45tDBuZlNtnpJ3beiCy0TZ-ySmMqjflmP1g7vI72VfoDSqaL5ojG7GwTQDcatOEJe-aCTOjBlmp-gf7W48Ftc~hmGZVy8Y31tgRsXTa2WaG0vQf6keDWr6XCS-9QUZFhqUpSdFuyt5fdvZh1Kw912g12-qH-if0lzGx1xE5xqFk4iQA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-04-11T11:48:24Z","article","District staff outlined summer student programs and a multi-week professional development schedule aimed at aligning instruction with the state’s Science of Reading requirements.

Director Rick Corella described the student offerings, which include an Elementary Learning Program (ELP) running July 14–Aug. 1 at 70 Ninth Street Elementary, Camp Wolverine Junior co-located with ELP under a Boys & Girls Club recreational contract, a staggered Elementary E&L session after a kindergarten transition jamboree, and multiple high-school sports, enrichment and credit-recovery offerings funded in part by a 21st Century grant. Corella said Camp Wolverine Senior and the credit recovery and prep programs will operate at Niagara Falls High School and at the district’s two prep schools; some P-TECH and mechanical engineering technology courses will also use SUNY Niagara campus space because of specialized equipment needs.

Corella said the elementary ELP application goes live on Monday, April 14, with a May 30 deadline for elementary program registration; credit-recovery and high-school postings follow once the high school team reviews 30-week grade reports to determine course needs and staffing.

The board also heard a detailed slate of summer professional learning sessions designed to prepare staff for an attestation the district must complete by 5 p.m. on Sept. 1, showing alignment with the Science of Reading pillars and required trainings for pre-K–grade 3. Instructional leaders outlined a multi-part summer calendar: onboarding and foundational courses in phonemic awareness and phonics (using Wilson Language materials in K–3), three-cycle workshops covering the six pillars (phonological awareness/phonics, oral language, vocabulary, fluency, comprehension), online book-study professional learning communities, and partner workshops through Erie 1 BOCES on explicit instruction and evidence-based practices that span pre-K through grade 12.

Instructional staff said the offerings address onboarding for new teachers as well as deeper training for experienced staff; the district intends to present the final attestation and supporting documentation at a June meeting so board members can review it before staff submits the Sept. 1 attestation.

Superintendent Mark Laurrie and other staff emphasized the board-funded components of the summer student programs and thanked the board for the budget allocation that makes the programs possible. The board was told that additional short-duration STEM and one-day camps may be added and will be reported monthly.

","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","NFCSD Board of Education Meeting - 4/10/2025","oneSentenceSummary","District staff presented an expanded set of summer programs for students — including Camp Wolverine, elementary extended learning and high-school credit recovery — and a multi-part professional development plan for teachers to support the state-required Science of Reading attestation due by Sept. 1.","taxTitle","NIAGARA FALLS CITY SCHOOL DISTRICT, School Districts, New York","taxId",38344,"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},6076731,"Internal audit finds paperwork gaps; board approves corrective-action responses",604,0,604000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2968088-164f81113da3308f6605e15ac56456cf&start=0&end=604","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2968088-164f81113da3308f6605e15ac56456cf/thumbnail_0.jpg","/articles/6076731/New-York/Internal-audit-finds-paperwork-gaps-board-approves-corrective-action-responses","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6076731-c2e9d2ee0a2b5fa707e5b4b508d2589c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771157489&Signature=j8fQ~OzL5VD47aRKwc6exJyFq3k~yOvfaQnn5AIbCbTuvza1B2X1zq2~Ye~cIzZPOuuvwjsTS1quF6atBo5Ka3sw1hnH3IycsTL~TEwf5jT7NpySLCBVkWUuOW1j-ws5jcNS6iACGu~vYif7EOBQHXgGn23TdghXZsd-wM~oVIwfOSGAtpwVMQWU0YN1h5-cCvnpNUMcztOarv6htdEnrwddyh9bQOsxnv-GqEGhWSFo81tIii4650pQ6jzSqiTIAQoxNavDSQn5P7yTTgB091UDWNK8h1F-TLLiRoxsIXMDjcoH8cssYH7R4Q86iXcAQzu~AHB~fuxClR0xLY6Ijw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Niagara Falls City School District’s internal auditor reviewed accounts payable and grant processes and reported two findings that district staff characterized as procedural paperwork gaps rather than misappropriation of funds.

Superintendent Mark Laurrie told the board the district’s internal auditor (Bonadio) had examined accounts payable procedures and grants over a six-week engagement and that \"none of the findings or observations dealt with $1 or 1 nickel.\" He said the findings were paperwork issues that would be remedied to strengthen controls in case of a state audit.

Becky, a district finance staff member, described the accounts-payable finding: the claims auditor reviews each expenditure packet and normally initials packages and signs a warrant; in three instances the initials were missing on the paper check packet even though the claims auditor had reviewed and approved the transactions in other records. Becky said the omissions occurred amid routine processing (one packet had five invoices; four were initialed and one was not) and that the district will add an additional electronic initial/check in the Envision financial system to provide a redundant verification step.

Julie, a district finance staff member, described the grants finding: auditors compared budget, spending and final cost reports and found one small discrepancy in an amount listed on a final cost report versus the amount recorded in the financial system. Julie characterized the error as a typographical discrepancy in a file containing over 1,000 transactions for the grant; the overall totals reported for the grant were accurate. The district will add a reconciliation step to verify check runs against the financial software each time a check run is logged and again before final cost report submission.

Audit committee materials presented to the board said the committee reviewed 1,408 packets (November–February) totaling $31,966,937 and identified two exceptions in the sample: one for $600 (a framed jersey purchased quickly to honor a retired basketball player and lacking a PO number) and one for $100 in the Head Start program related to duplicate clearance submissions for new hires. The superintendent said the district’s goal is zero exceptions and that the corrective-action plan (CAP) approved by the board will be submitted to the state by April 30 after Bonadio removes the draft watermark.

The board approved the CAP as agenda item 6.12 and instructed staff to finalize and file the district’s responses with the state by the stated deadline.

","An internal audit reviewed accounts payable and grants and found two non-cash procedural exceptions; the district presented corrective steps and the board approved submitting the responses to the state by April 30.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":90,"_53":91,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":92,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":93,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":56,"_74":56},6076736,"Board approves 2025-26 budget, tax report card, Head Start revision and array of facilities and contract items","/articles/6076736/New-York/Board-approves-2025-26-budget-tax-report-card-Head-Start-revision-and-array-of-facilities-and-contract-items","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6076736-3cb6bec62f3f85ec591f14b1ce364b03/orig.mp4?Expires=1771157489&Signature=ndoi4ltNyWPCQVq0XYqyk~xcSM5rIeYPc9DGpLg31drQQb5iXVYEIkOwyBxdmnFHqn1yUmgMCvquhjXSryBrNPdnHSlFB3qX9oWfroxy7zR5LlC4l1goyVJ71DyhBARAgSL8OW9FwNRmRtLJagrLqnnnUB1x3TEpXW-aWrrkuv4Q8HsDg5WkB4yJgoSezpKjfO50oqY4jy21h9rRQzanVzofra5hoQNRu4StkY-oKt4dzhS0xrvW47gKNSG4iKy6CXzT6VguMdAf2nMyJg-c3J0Iykrzib40VcpRqBGYZdIds48HBvKUtjnr54ZE2xm5en~pGmkhGI6M-b-4MxSmgA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Niagara Falls City School District Board of Education on Monday approved the district’s recommended 2025-26 general fund budget, the required tax report card, a corrective action plan responding to an internal audit, and several facilities and procurement resolutions.

The board voted to place a $202,640,136 general fund budget before voters on May 20. Superintendent Mark Laurrie told the board the budget does not increase the property tax levy and relies on about $3.6 million of fund balance to balance the plan. \"No tax levy increase, no program or people cut,\" Laurrie said during the presentation. The board also approved the district’s real property tax report card for 2025-26, a document the district must file with the state.

The board approved a corrective action plan in response to the district’s internal audit report for 2023-24; the audit committee had recommended the district submit the responses and the district will file the finalized plan with the state by April 30 after Bonadio removes the draft watermark. The internal audit and the corrective actions are addressed in a separate staff presentation and are summarized in a companion article.

Other motions the board approved included a revision to the continuation application for the 2025-26 Head Start and Early Head Start grant to reflect a reduced student count, a resolution to repair and replace a boiler at the central office building, authorization to apply pesticides on the Niagara Falls High School grounds for tick control (with 48-hour notice and timing to avoid use conflict), and a resolution to standardize purchases on Ford Motor Company vehicles for district fleet needs.

The board also authorized a change order (SCC-13) and approved a set of contractor payment applications for capital projects that are near completion; the board’s presentations noted capital-work progress and projected project completion by Aug. 31.

Votes at a glance (selected items):
- 2025-26 general fund budget (resolution 6.10): approved (roll call: Mr. Bilson—Yes; Mr. Capizzi—Yes; Mrs. Dunn—Yes; Mr. Perretto—Yes; Mr. Gallardo—Yes; Mr. Velardo—Yes; Mr. Petrosi—Yes).
- Real property tax report card 2025-26 (6.11): approved (same roll call outcome).
- Corrective action plan in response to internal audit (6.12): approved; the audit committee recommended approval and staff will file the final responses with the state by April 30.
- Revision to Head Start/Early Head Start continuation application (6.06): approved.
- Boiler replacement at central office (6.07): approved.
- Pesticide application for tick control on NFHS grounds (6.08): approved with 48-hour notice and planned timing to avoid occupancy/game conflicts.
- Standardization of district vehicle purchases to Ford products (6.09): approved; will appear on May bid sheet.
- Change order SCC-13 and contractor payment applications (6.13–6.19): approved.

Board officers and staff said the budget keeps the tax levy at its current level while drawing on reserves to cover one-time capital bond payments and equipment replacements. The superintendent and business staff said the budget grows by about 4.18% year-to-year on operations and that an additional $2.5 million in state aid is earmarked for capital bond repayments rather than classroom programs.

The board held routine roll-call votes earlier in the meeting to approve minutes, certificated and classified personnel reports, committee special education reports, the treasurer’s report and other consent items.

The board adjourned with plans to reconvene for board meetings on May 8, May 15 and the statutorily required meeting after the May 20 vote results.

","At its April meeting the Niagara Falls City School District Board of Education approved the proposed $202.64 million 2025-26 general fund budget and related tax report card, accepted a corrective action plan responding to the internal audit, approved a Head Start grant revision and authorized several facilities and procurement measures.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

District previews summer student programs and summer professional development; Science of Reading attestation planned

Internal audit finds paperwork gaps; board approves corrective-action responses

Board approves 2025-26 budget, tax report card, Head Start revision and array of facilities and contract items