BPS - Board Meeting 11-4-26

The Buffalo Public Schools Executive Affairs Committee work session on November 4, 2026, reviewed a proposed memorandum of understanding with the Buffalo Police Department for school resource officers (SROs). The draft is still with the city for review and has not come to the board for approval; district staff hoped to bring an agreement forward before year-end. The existing arrangement costs $325,000 annually for access to a police chief, lieutenant, and nine officers, covering specified personnel and overtime costs. The district said prior-year payments are current and the current-year bill is expected after the school year. Discussion covered overtime tracking, student feedback and program evaluation, training, limits on police access to student information, and privacy review. No contract award or vote occurred.

The finance update reported a projected $66 million deficit for the current year and a possible $90–100 million deficit for 2027–28 absent corrective action. The district is arranging short-term bridge financing because cash is projected to fall to about $120 million in December. A proposed right-sizing plan—including reducing five facilities and 100 positions—was described as part of a broader four-year plan intended to lower the deficit; it was not voted on. District staff also reported seeking $5 million in one-time state assistance for transition costs and other support for student programs and technology, and discussed possible future purchases of assessment resources for the state’s Portrait of a Graduate initiative. The session also included updates on student achievement requirements and youth risk behavior survey results. No procurement award or spending motion was identified.