Buffalo school officials defended moving ahead with a vote on proposed closures and consolidations as educators, students and community members questioned last-minute changes and the potential disruption to school communities.
At Tuesday night’s forum at PS 156 Frederick Law Olmsted, concerns ranged from the time available to review the proposal to whether students would retain familiar teachers, bilingual instruction and access to college courses.
The Buffalo Board of Education is expected to consider the proposal Wednesday. Approved changes would take effect in the 2027–28 school year.
Interim Superintendent Ebony Prophet-Bullock said revisions continued late Monday night in response to feedback. Among the latest changes was adding PS 17 to the closure proposal.
Speaking with reporters before the forum, Prophet-Bullock acknowledged that the school’s inclusion “came out of the blue,” but maintained that the board had sufficient information to act. She said district leaders had been analyzing possible changes since March.
“I think that we have given the board enough analysis, enough data, enough information, and it's not new,” she said. “We've been talking about closing schools for years.”
Dr. Cameron Hall, principal of PS 17 and a former student there, urged the board to keep the school open. He said roughly 44% of its students have disabilities and described the relationships staff have built with children who depend on familiar faces and routines.
“Many of our students are nonverbal, but they recognize our faces when they get off the bus,” Hall said.
Hall warned that moving students could set back their progress and asked the district to invest in the school’s continued improvement.
“I know the numbers matter, but so do the families in which we serve,” he said.
Prophet-Bullock told Hall she would speak with him individually the following morning. More broadly, she said the district plans to move teachers and programs with students and work with community organizations to support the transition.
Councilmember David Rivera questioned whether families and the public had enough time to understand the revisions before the board acted.
“It brings a sense of lack of confidence in a process, when revisions happen and there isn't enough time to look at the revisions to consider the data, and then tomorrow the school board is going to vote on something that's going to impact the lives of hundreds and hundreds of students,” he said.
Prophet-Bullock disagreed, saying the board had received extensive analysis and that revisions reflected the district’s response to feedback.
BPS Chief Financial Officer James Barnes also defended the process. He said the district had lost $157 million in cash over three years and warned that failing to address its financial condition would have more serious consequences for students and employees.
Before the meeting, Prophet-Bullock said postponement would compress the time available to arrange student placements, building moves and other logistics, potentially increasing costs. She did not provide a dollar estimate for the impact of a delay.
She acknowledged that the board could postpone the vote, but said she did not recommend doing so.
Students also pressed for specifics about how proposed moves would affect their education.
Isabella, a Middle Early College High School junior, questioned the proposed relocation of her school to the East Community High School building. She said longer trips to Erie Community College could reduce time available for college classes, studying and activities at her high school.
Prophet-Bullock said the district was working toward shuttle service with its college partners. Her response did not establish a finalized transportation arrangement.
During the presentation, the district outlined a revised transportation scenario that would eliminate eight bus assignments rather than 18, retaining up to 10 for coverage and other needs. Officials estimated approximately $1 million in transportation savings, while noting that routes would depend on student placements.
A PS 33 parent questioned whether English-language test results fairly reflected the work of a bilingual school. Prophet-Bullock said test performance was not the sole factor in the recommendation, citing building conditions, programming and available seats elsewhere.
She described potential opportunities at receiving schools, including continued bilingual instruction and additional coursework. The parent responded that her daughter had already expressed what she wanted.
Prophet-Bullock said Da Vinci and Research Laboratory high schools would retain separate identities under a revised plan to share a building rather than combine into one school.
She also clarified that a projection of 108 eliminated positions did not necessarily mean 108 employees would be laid off. The district hopes to use vacancies and retirements to help reduce staffing.
The presentation made clear that student assignments, transportation, staffing and program arrangements would be finalized after approval. Prophet-Bullock described stronger academic support and expanded opportunities as goals that school closures alone would not guarantee.
She said community input would continue during implementation, although she did not expect the proposal itself to change between Tuesday night’s forum and Wednesday’s vote.
