Buffalo City School District to pilot in‑district autism agency at School 27

Adriana Zulech, vice president and committee chair, opened a work session presentation where Chief Academic Officer Anne Botticelli outlined a new comprehensive autism support framework that will pilot an in‑district agency at Hillary Park Elementary School 27.

Botticelli said the committee—formed after teachers raised concerns about classroom behavior and supports—agreed on four priorities: student placement, classroom supports, professional development and creation of a district agency. "So we wanted to develop an action plan to improve outcomes for students with autism," Botticelli said, describing the committee’s work and a plan for ongoing quarterly meetings to finalize details.

The pilot will begin by opening four classrooms at School 27 (two kindergarten and two first‑grade rooms). Botticelli said each classroom model is planned as "2 a teacher, 8 students, and 2 paraprofessionals," with the first year staffed at six students per room to allow acclimation. The agency will include a dedicated social worker and a behavior intervention specialist, and district psychologists attached to the agency will support clinical needs.

"We are opening 4 classrooms to start, 2 kindergarten and 2 1st grade," Botticelli said, and added that the district has defined entrance and exit criteria and a reentry plan so students are not placed permanently but can transition back to other settings as they progress.

Principal Ed Smith, who said he is "the principal of Hillary Park Elementary School 27," described the school’s readiness and existing AU classes, noting the district already hosts several autism‑focused classrooms and that some out‑of‑district agency seats have declined. "We have the teachers. We have the staff within our district and the professionals and the expertise to provide these students with the education they need," Smith said.

Board members asked how families will be supported. Botticelli and Assistant Superintendent Kim Folcher said parents will be interviewed and given orientation materials, and the district plans quarterly parent meetings and summer readiness trainings so families can work with staff on transitions and supports. Folcher also described connections to outside supports, saying district psychologists and staff will help link families to OPWDD and related services where appropriate.

Botticelli said the district has signed MOUs with the BTF and BEST unions to ensure staffing commitments and that posts for classroom teachers, social workers and behavior specialists have been advertised and are in process. She emphasized the pilot is "not the complete solution, but a step in the right direction," adding the program can grow if demand requires more classrooms or additional sites.

The presentation did not propose formal policy changes or votes; board members scheduled follow-up questions and site visits. The district said it expects to launch the pilot in September, contingent on completing staffing and modest facility preparations at School 27.