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Buffalo Public Schools, New York

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Buffalo Public Schools
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Erie County, New York
District details
Superintendent: Tonja Williams Knight
# of school board members: 9
Website: Link

Buffalo Public Schools is a school district in New York.

Click on the links below to learn more about the school district's...

Superintendent

BP-Initials-UPDATED.png
This information is updated as we become aware of changes. Please contact us with any updates.

The current superintendent of Buffalo Public Schools is Dr. Tonja Williams Knight. The board appointed her to this position on July 14, 2022.[1]

Past superintendents

  • Kriner Cash was the superintendent from 2015 to 2022. Cash's previous career experience included working as the chief of accountability and system-wide performance of Miami-Dade County Public Schools in Florida.[2]
  • Darren Brown was the interim superintendent of Buffalo Public Schools from June 2015 to August 2015. Brown's previous career experience included working as the district's associate superintendent for human resources.[3]
  • Donald Ogilvie was the interim superintendent of Buffalo Public Schools from 2014 to 2015. Ogilvie's previous career experience included working as the superintendent with Erie 1 BOCES school district.[3][4]
  • Will Keresztes was the interim superintendent of Buffalo Public Schools in 2014. Keresztes' previous career experience included working as the district's associate superintendent.[5]
  • Pamela Brown was the superintendent of Buffalo Public Schools from 2012 to 2014.[6][7]

School board

The Buffalo Public Schools Board of Education consists of nine members. Three members are elected at large to five-year terms and the other six members are elected by geographic electoral district to three-year terms.[8]


Elections

See also: Buffalo Public Schools, New York, elections

Members of the Buffalo Public Schools Board of Education are elected to three-year or five-year terms, depending on the type of seat they hold. Elections are held in November.[8]

Six seats on the board are up for general election on November 4, 2025. The filing deadline was May 27, 2025.

Ballotpedia covered school board elections in 367 school districts in 29 states in 2024. Those school districts had a total student enrollment of 12,203,404 students. Click here to read an analysis of those elections.


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Public participation in board meetings

The Buffalo Board of Education maintains the following policy on public testimony during board meetings:[9]


District map

Budget

The following statistics were published by the National Center for Education Statistics, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Education.[10]

Revenue, 2020-2021
SOURCE AMOUNT AMOUNT PER STUDENT PERCENT
Federal: $107,302,000 $3,414 10%
Local: $170,104,000 $5,412 16%
State: $799,010,000 $25,424 74%
Total: $1,076,416,000 $34,250
Expenditures, 2020-2021
TYPE AMOUNT AMOUNT PER STUDENT PERCENT
Total Expenditures: $901,462,000 $28,683
Total Current Expenditures: $677,623,000 $21,561
Instructional Expenditures: $408,042,000 $12,983 45%
Student and Staff Support: $69,358,000 $2,206 8%
Administration: $78,249,000 $2,489 9%
Operations, Food Service, Other: $121,974,000 $3,881 14%
Total Capital Outlay: $19,144,000 $609
Construction: $8,045,000 $255
Total Non El-Sec Education & Other: $5,635,000 $179
Interest on Debt: $23,044,000 $733


Teacher salaries

The following salary information was pulled from the district's teacher salary schedule. A salary schedule is a list of expected compensations based on variables such as position, years employed, and education level. It may not reflect actual teacher salaries in the district.

Year Minimum Maximum
2023-2024[11] $40,661 $107,061
2020-2021[12] $37,649 $99,119

Academic performance

Each year, state and local education agencies use tests and other standards to assess student proficiency. Although the data below was published by the U.S. Department of Education, proficiency measurements are established by the states. As a result, proficiency levels are not comparable between different states and year-over-year proficiency levels within a district may not be comparable because states may change their proficiency measurements.[13]

The following table shows the percentage of district students who scored at or above the proficiency level each school year:

School year All (%) Asian/Pacific Islander (%) Black (%) Hispanic (%) Native American (%) Two or More Races (%) White (%)
2020-2021 41 45 38 31 70-79 30-34 56
2018-2019 30 42 23 21 45-49 34 47
2017-2018 30 39 24 20 35-39 35 50
2016-2017 28 34 22 20 25-29 32 46
2015-2016 27 33 21 20 25-29 31 45
2014-2015 26 31 20 18 25-29 31 44
2013-2014 15 20 9 10 15-19 20 31
2012-2013 19 22 15 14 15-19 15-19 32
2011-2012 37 40 30 32 40-44 45-49 56
2010-2011 37 36 30 32 40-44 45-49 57

The following table shows the percentage of district students who scored at or above the proficiency level each school year:

School year All (%) Asian/Pacific Islander (%) Black (%) Hispanic (%) Native American (%) Two or More Races (%) White (%)
2020-2021 40 41 34 30 60-79 40-44 56
2018-2019 33 46 27 25 45-49 37 49
2017-2018 32 41 27 24 40-44 35 48
2016-2017 28 32 23 20 35-39 30 46
2015-2016 27 30 22 20 20-24 31 44
2014-2015 22 25 18 16 20-24 20 38
2013-2014 17 17 12 13 10-14 18 31
2012-2013 21 21 17 16 20-24 20-24 35
2011-2012 35 30 30 30 40-44 35-39 54
2010-2011 34 28 28 30 35-39 45-49 52

The following table shows the graduation rate of district students each school year:

School year All (%) Asian/Pacific Islander (%) Black (%) Hispanic (%) Native American (%) Two or More Races (%) White (%)
2019-2020 65 65-69 62 57 >=80 80-89 74
2018-2019 66 75-79 64 53 40-59 50-59 78
2017-2018 65 60-64 65 53 40-59 60-69 75
2016-2017 64 60-64 64 54 60-79 60-69 71
2015-2016 63 50-54 63 51 40-59 40-59 74
2014-2015 57 40-44 55 48 50-59 40-59 73
2013-2014 56 45-49 56 46 30-39 21-39 70
2012-2013 49 40-44 47 37 30-39 40-59 64
2011-2012 56 50-54 54 45 50-59 PS 65
2010-2011 50 50-59 47 41 40-49 PS 61


Students

Year Enrollment Year-to-year change (%)
2022-2023 30,124 -2.3
2021-2022 30,823 -2.0
2020-2021 31,428 -6.0
2019-2020 33,299 -1.4
2018-2019 33,756 -0.7
2017-2018 33,992 -0.9
2016-2017 34,293 2.8
2015-2016 33,345 -5.7
2014-2015 35,234 1.1
2013-2014 34,854 6.0
2012-2013 32,762 0.1
2011-2012 32,723 -2.5
2010-2011 33,543 -2.9
2009-2010 34,526 0.0
2008-2009 34,538 -3.3
2007-2008 35,677 -2.4
2006-2007 36,540 -0.5
2005-2006 36,706 -5.4
2004-2005 38,704 -6.2
2003-2004 41,089 -5.8
2002-2003 43,474 -3.2
2001-2002 44,849 -1.9
2000-2001 45,721 -1.4
1999-2000 46,370 0.0
Racial Demographics, 2022-2023
RACE Buffalo Public Schools (%) New York K-12 STUDENTS (%)
American Indian/Alaska Native 0.5 0.7
Asian or Asian/Pacific Islander 13.5 10.0
Black 42.6 15.8
Hispanic 20.5 29.2
Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander 0.1 0.2
Two or More Races 5.1 3.6
White 17.7 40.4

Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.


Staff

As of the 2022-2023 school year, Buffalo Public Schools had 2,964.67 full-time classroom teachers. The student-teacher ratio was 10.16.

Teachers, 2022-2023 school year
TYPE NUMBER OF TEACHERS
Prekindergarten: 107.66
Kindergarten: 158.08
Elementary: 1,337.79
Secondary: 1,297.69
Total: 2,964.67

Buffalo Public Schools employed 27.00 district administrators and 0.00 school administrators as of the 2022-2023 school year.

Administrators, 2022-2023 school year
TYPE NUMBER OF ADMINISTRATORS
District Administrators: 27.00
District Administrative Support: 155.00
School Administrators: 0.00
School Administrative Support: 0.00
Other staff, 2022-2023 school year
TYPE NUMBER OF OTHER STAFF
Instructional Aides: 1,306.00
Instruc. Coordinators & Supervisors: 1,156.09
Total Guidance Counselors: 82.00
Elementary Guidance Counselors: 40.00
Secondary Guidance Counselors: 0.00
Librarians/Media Specialists: 0.00
Library/Media Support: 0.00
Student Support Services: 167.83
Other Support Services: 316.00


Schools

Buffalo Public Schools operates 61 schools. They are listed below in alphabetical order.
List of schools
SCHOOL NAMENUMBER OF STUDENTSGRADES
Academy School707-12
Bennett Park Montessori School652PK-8
Bilingual Center319PK-8
Buffalo Academy For The Visual & Performing Arts5665-12
Buffalo Elementary School Of Technology525PK-8
Buffalo School Of Culinary Arts And Hospitality Management4179-12
Build Community School344PK-8
Burgard High School4449-12
City Honors School1,0805-12
Community School #53452PK-8
Discovery School543PK-8
Dr A Pantoja Comm Sch Excllnce -#18443PK-8
Dr George Blackman Ecc360PK-4
Dr Lydia T Wright Sch Of Excellence580PK-8
D'Youville-Porter Campus582PK-8
East Community School3029-12
Emerson School Of Hospitality3869-12
Erie County Detention Facility199-12
Erie County Holding Center0
Frank A Sedita School #30672PK-8
Frederick Olmsted #1569045-12
Harriet Ross Tubman Academy513PK-8
Harvey Austin School #97516PK-8
Herman Badillo Bilingual Academy513PK-8
Highgate Heights382PK-8
Hutchinson Central Technical High School1,1759-12
International Preparatory School (The)6079-12
International School981PK-8
Lafayette International School4159-12
Leonardo Da Vinci High School3729-12
Lewis J Bennett High School Of Innovative Technolgy4019-12
Lorraine Elementary School699PK-8
Lovejoy Discovery School #43577PK-8
Martin Luther King Jr #48401PK-6
Marva J Daniel Futures Preparatory School422PK-8
Math Science Technology Preparatory School At 1974357-12
Mckinley Vocational High School9869-12
Middle Early College High School3149-12
Native American Magnet345PK-8
North Park Community School #50305PK-4
Pathways Academy1059-12
Pfc William J Grabiarz #79538PK-8
Ps 17309PK-4
Ps 27 Hillery Park Academy544PK-8
Ps 42 Occupational Training Center64UG-UG
Ps 59 Dr Charles Drew Science Magnet620PK-8
Ps 61 Arthur O Eve School Of Distinction264PK-4
Ps 64 Frederick Law Olmsted558PK-4
Ps 65 Roosevelt Ecc284PK-4
Ps 69 Houghton Academy455PK-8
Ps 74 Hamlin Park - Claude And Ouida Clapp Academy392PK-8
Ps 81737PK-8
Ps 82274PK-4
Ps 84155KG-12
Research Laboratory Hs-Bioinformatic1889-12
Riverside Academy High School2949-12
South Park High School7489-12
Southside Elementary School862PK-8
Stanley Makowski Early Childhood Center586PK-4
Waterfront Elementary School761PK-8
West Hertel Elementary School750PK-8

Noteworthy events

2013-2014: Superintendent Pamela Brown resigns from office

In 2013, former gubernatorial candidate and local businessman Carl P. Paladino ran for election to the school board. During his campaign, Paladino called for the removal of incumbent board members and the dismissal of the district's top administrators, including Superintendent Pamela Brown.[14] After joining the board, Paladino continued to call for Superintendent Brown's resignation or removal from office.[15][16] In September 2013, the board ruled in a 5-4 decision to keep the superintendent in place.[17]

In May 2014, Superintendent Brown announced her intention to resign after her opponents on the board won a governing majority following the election of Larry Quinn and Patricia B. Pierce.[18] The school voted 7-2 to accept her resignation on June 16, 2014. In exchange for her voluntary resignation, the district agreed to pay her a year's salary and other compensation for a total $238,667. The school board appointed district administrator Will Keresztes to the position of interim superintendent while it conducted a hiring search for Brown's long-term replacement.[19][20] Less than a month later, the board appointed Donald A. Ogilvie as the new interim superintendent of the district to replace Keresztes.[21]

2013-2014: Board member files petitions to dismiss board president from leadership position

On October 23, 2013, board member Carl P. Paladino filed an unsuccessful motion to dismiss Board President Barbara Seals Nevergold from her leadership position. He later filed an appeal with the New York State Education Department and Commissioner of Education John King, claiming that she is unfit to meet the responsibilities of the position and stating that she had allowed board meeting participants to attack him verbally.[22] Paladino then filed a second petition with Commissioner King, which argued that Nevergold's position on the board was illegitimate due to her not running for the seat in the May 2013 election following her appointment to the board. Board member John Licata made a successful resolution to hire legal counsel for Nevergold's defense.[23] Local resident Joan Simmons filed a petition with the state agency requesting Paladino's removal from the board, alleging that he was disruptive and prevented the board from carrying out its duties.[24]

On April 4, 2014, Commissioner King rejected both of Paladino's petitions based on procedural concerns and due to a lack of evidence.[25] However, Commissioner King's ruling on Paladino's second petition left open the possibility that Nevergold violated state law by not running for re-election in the May 2013 election. After hearing the decision, Paladino announced that he would pursue legal action against Nevergold in the New York State Supreme Court.[26] On May 19, 2014, Erie County Supreme Court Judge Tracey A. Bannister rejected Paladino's argument on the grounds that Nevergold was only required by law to run in the first election following her appointment for the type of seat she held, an at-large seat. The 2014 election was the first election for at-large seats following her appointment. Judge Bannister also noted that the statute of limitations for the case had passed, and that Paladino did not have the legal standing to relitigate Commissioner King's decision.[27]

2013-2014: Consultant appointed as interim deputy superintendent

In March 2013, consultant Mary Guinn and her firm, Cross and Joftus, were hired to provide leadership coaching to top district officials and to assist with the implementation of a central office reorganization plan. The initial three-month contract, which was paid with private grant money, also appointed Guinn to the temporary position of interim deputy superintendent. However, the district did not hire a permanent deputy superintendent and instead agreed to a one-year contract with Cross and Joftus at the additional cost of $432,000.[28] Board members questioned the appropriateness of Guinn's contract and involvement with payroll, internal communications, and leadership meetings. Guinn's firm canceled the consulting contract on October 8, 2013, following board efforts to remove her from the position.[29]

During the board's closed session meeting on February 26, 2014, Superintendent Pamela Brown recommended that the board hire Guinn to fill the deputy superintendent position. The board voted 5-3 to hire Guinn for a 90-day period, with board member Jason M. McCarthy absent from the meeting.[30] Guinn applied with the New York State Education Department for the credentials necessary to fill the position on October 16, 2013, which she received on February 14, 2014.[29] Following Guinn's appointment, several board members voiced their displeasure with the decision. McCarthy stated that he would have voted against her appointment if he were present at the meeting, and that he felt Superintendent Brown's request and the subsequent board vote were purposefully conducted in his absence in order to ensure Guinn's appointment. Guinn served until June 2014.[31]

2013-2014: Uncertified administrators removed from office

In 2013, Yamilette Williams and Faith Morrison Alexander were hired by Superintendent Pamela Brown as school district administrators. At the time of their hiring, they held conditional certificates to serve as school principals, not district administrators. In 2014, District human resources administrator Darren J. Brown acknowledged that his office had failed to ensure that the two officials had obtained their proper certifications and stated that the school district faced legal liability issues as a result.[32]

On March 20, 2014, Superintendent Brown announced that she had placed both officials on unpaid leave. Board members Carl P. Paladino and John Licata said that neither of the officials were still employed by the district due to the violation of their contracts.[33] Superintendent Brown attempted to retain Yamilette Williams and Faith Morrison Alexander as paid interns with an annual salary of $130,000 each. The school board rejected her proposal and voted unanimously to fire both officials on April 2, 2014.[34]

Contact information

Buffalo Public Schools seal.jpg

Buffalo Public Schools
712 City Hall
65 Niagara Square
Buffalo, NY 14202
Phone: 716-816-3500


About school boards

Education legislation in New York

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See also

New York School Board Elections News and Analysis
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External links

Footnotes

  1. WKBW, "Dr. Tonja Williams named the new permanent superintendent of Buffalo Public Schools," July 14, 2022
  2. Buffalo Public Schools, "Superintendent's Page / Kriner Cash," accessed July 12, 2021
  3. 3.0 3.1 WGRZ, "Darren Brown Named Buffalo Interim Superintendent," June 25, 2015
  4. WBFO, "Ogilvie appointed interim Buffalo schools superintendent," July 9, 2014
  5. WBFO, "Associate Superintendent Will Keresztes named interim leader of city schools," June 17, 2014
  6. Buffalo Business Journal, "Pamela Brown departure from Buffalo district nearly done," June 16, 2014
  7. The Buffalo News, "Pamela Brown gets big payout for leaving; Keresztes named interim chief, June 16, 2014
  8. 8.0 8.1 Buffalo Public Schools, "Section 1000 BYLAWS: SUBJECT: BOARD OF EDUCATION: QUALIFICATIONS, NUMBERS AND TERMS OF OFFICE," accessed July 12, 2021
  9. Buffalo Public Schools, "Public Participation," accessed January 23, 2024
  10. National Center for Education Statistics, "Elementary/Secondary Information System," accessed June 17, 2024
  11. Buffalo Public Schools, "Salary Schedule 2022-23," accessed February 2, 2024
  12. Buffalo Public Schools ,"BTF Teacher's Salary Schedule," accessed July 14, 2021
  13. U.S. Department of Education, Washington, DC: EDFacts, "State Assessments in Reading/Language Arts and Mathematics- School Year 2018-19 EDFacts Data Documentation," accessed February 25, 2021
  14. WBFO 88.7: NPR News & More, "Paladino to launch major push to remove school board incumbents," January 24, 2013
  15. WBFO 88.7: NPR News & More, "Paladino wins, vows to shake up school district," May 8, 2013
  16. WBFO 88.7: NPR News & More, "Seeking changes, Paladino takes school board seat," July 10, 2013
  17. WBFO 88.7: NPR News & More, "Board votes to keep Superintendent Brown," September 26, 2013
  18. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named resign
  19. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named resign1
  20. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named resign2
  21. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named resign3
  22. WKBW - ABC 7, "Buffalo Board of Education Member Wants President Nevergold Out," November 9, 2013
  23. WBFO 88.7: NPR News & More, "Buffalo District hires lawyer for school board president," November 21, 2013
  24. WBFO 88.7: NPR News & More, "Paladino faces action seeking his removal from school board," January 16, 2014
  25. The Buffalo News, "Commissioner King's ruling on Paladino's petition to oust Nevergold," April 5, 2014
  26. Cite error: Invalid <ref> tag; no text was provided for refs named paladino
  27. The Buffalo News, "The written ruling dismissing Paladino's bid to unseat Nevergold," May 20, 2014
  28. The Buffalo News, "Fate of consultant in Buffalo School Board’s hands as her compensation, authority are questioned," September 24, 2013
  29. 29.0 29.1 The Buffalo News, "Seed sown last fall for Guinn to be rehired by school district, state records show," March 6, 2014
  30. The Buffalo News, "Guinn’s hiring expected to create more divisiveness on School Board," February 27, 2014
  31. The Buffalo News, "Board members call Guinn's appointment "deceptive," "disrespectful" and "sinful"," February 28, 2014
  32. The Buffalo News, "Two top Buffalo school district officials lack state certifications," March 19, 2014
  33. The Buffalo News, "Uncertified Buffalo school administrators no longer employed by district," March 22, 2014
  34. The Buffalo News, "Buffalo School Board votes overwhelmingly to fire 2 top administrators," April 3, 2014