Buffalo Public Schools asks families to weigh in on family engagement policy as resource centers, volunteer rules roll out

Dr. Jennifer Rich, director of the Buffalo Public Schools Department of Family and Community Engagement, led a public review of Board policy 3170 on family and community engagement and invited written feedback from parents, staff and community partners.

The session focused on the district’s research-based family engagement framework entering its third year and the operational rules the policy spells out for parent groups. Dr. Rich said the policy establishes district, school and family responsibilities and that related documents and a short feedback survey would be posted in the chat and on the district website. "Please make sure you memorialize that in writing, in the survey," Dr. Rich told attendees.

Several participants urged clearer, more inclusive language. "I don't see language in there about our children that are without parents or caregivers," said Miss Barr, a community member, who asked the district to include children without caregivers in the policy’s definition of family engagement. Dr. Reynolds and other attendees recommended removing the word "student" from parts of the definition so the policy more clearly covers learning and wellness for parents, staff and caregivers as well as students.

Attendees also pressed the district on governance and access to leadership roles. "Parent Congress does seem exclusive," said Adriana Zulich, a participant who described repeated leadership and few contested elections in some parent groups. Dr. Rich acknowledged the perception and asked that such experiences be submitted via the survey so staff could follow up and share contact information for Parent Congress leadership.

Dr. Rich reviewed recertification and documentation requirements the policy currently requires: parent groups seeking district recognition must adopt bylaws, maintain at least 10 members (a majority of whom should be parents), and submit quarterly documentation to the Department of Family and Community Engagement — including agenda and minutes from at least two meetings, a roster and evidence of participation. The presenter said bylaws are written by parent groups and reviewed annually; district staff will accept feedback on whether quarterly submissions create undue burden.

Operational items and supports discussed included an updated contact list and repaired QR links on district posters, the conversion of parent centers into Family Resource Centers (opening Oct. 7; presenters named Lafayette High School and East High School and referenced additional sites including Bennett and South Park), and plans for trainings and an online volunteer form. The district said volunteers will generally not require fingerprinting unless they participate in overnight or out-of-state trips.

Community-run programs drew praise: an in-person participant described Saturday Academies as "phenomenal," and reported an event drew about 500 people, producing strong neighborhood engagement and requests to sustain farmers markets and other supports that accompanied the events. Questions about nutrition, restoring salad bars and how to give families and students a voice in menus were raised; Dr. Rich credited the district's food service director and community-school partners for coordinating grant-funded pilots and pledged to continue those conversations.

The meeting closed with a reminder that the session was recorded and available on buffalopublicschools.org and YouTube, that the feedback survey link was in the chat, and that a repeat session would be held at 5 p.m. District staff said they will compile written feedback and consider edits to policy language and submission schedules as part of the annual review required by policy 3170.