Niagara Falls board hears update on long‑running "Maestro" school‑funding litigation

Superintendent Mark Lohrey told the board the Niagara Falls City School District has been part of the Maestro litigation since about 2008 and that the district has contributed more than $650,000 from the general fund toward legal costs.

Lohrey said the district is one of eight small‑city districts that brought the suit contesting New York State’s implementation of foundation aid and argued the funding formula had not produced resources aligned with student need. He summarized the stakes: “the district has been involved in this case since back in 2008,” and introduced outside advisers and attorneys to provide a timeline and answer board questions.

Bill Lynch, a former superintendent and longtime small‑city schools advocate, reviewed the case’s legal background and framed it in the context of the Campaign for Fiscal Equity precedents. Lynch described the test…