Board reviews grants, Saturday Academies and first JUUL settlement distribution

The board received an agenda preview of short‑term contracts, grant awards and extracurricular programming. Superintendent Mark Lohrey described two weeks available to members to submit questions; no votes were planned for the meeting.

Administrators listed vendor contracts to support professional development, assistive technology evaluations, music recording for the Big Picture program (Cold Gnarly), coaching and after‑school activities funded by grants, and a temporary nurse practitioner to cover an impending maternity leave and to assist with Medicaid billing.

Lohrey summarized grant awards and distributions: approximately $276,069 for P‑TECH courses via SUNY Niagara, a 21st Century grant totaling about $826,000 for LaSalle and Gaskill after‑school programs, $350,000 for extended school‑day violence prevention initiatives, mentor teacher funding of about $51,000, and $67,000 for a teacher resource center. He also noted a $8,102 professional development award for four English as a New Language teachers at LaSalle Prep.

The district will receive a share of JUUL settlement funds through Niagara County BOCES: the first distribution amounts to $12,222.53 per year for eight years, and the superintendent described a narrow set of allowable uses. He proposed contracting Horizon Health Services to provide on‑site vaping cessation and counseling as an alternative to suspending students who vape; administrators noted the money could also be used for anti‑vaping materials or detectors.

The superintendent previewed other agenda items: an application request to replace a DiFrancesco Center walk‑in freezer (head start funds, $15,000 request), an audit committee appointment (Portland Jackson), and routine personnel items. He also highlighted Saturday Academy plans with a mix of academic and enrichment activities and said prior events drew more than 200 participants.

No votes occurred on these agenda items during this session; the board was asked to submit questions within two weeks and to expect resolutions for action at a future meeting.