The Buffalo Board of Education did not vote Wednesday night on a proposal to close and consolidate schools for the 2027–28 academic year after interim Superintendent Ebony Prophet-Bullock withdrew the resolution amid mounting concerns from students, educators and community members.
The announcement came during a Board of Education meeting at McKinley High School, where speakers questioned the pace of the district's decision-making process and warned about the potential consequences of displacing students and disrupting school communities.
"The air in the room is heavy. The emotion in the room is heavy," Prophet-Bullock said, interrupting the public comment period following several emotional appeals from students at Riverside High School.
"We heard you. We're pulling it. We will not be voting on it today."
The proposed closures and consolidations are part of the district's broader four-year fiscal stability plan. However, repeated revisions to the proposal, including changes introduced just days before the scheduled vote, raised questions about whether board members and the public had enough time to evaluate the latest recommendations.
Buffalo Teachers Federation President Rich Nigro, who was among the first speakers Wednesday night, urged the board to postpone its decision, recalling disruptions caused by previous school closures and mergers.
"This is not ripping off a Band-Aid; it's pulling out stitches, stitches that are holding communities together," Nigro told the board.
Nigro later told BTPM News he believed postponing the vote was the right decision but emphasized the need for further discussion about how the proposed changes could affect students and surrounding neighborhoods.
While much of Wednesday's public testimony focused on opposition to the closures, some students expressed appreciation for revisions made in response to earlier concerns.
Leonardo da Vinci High School students thanked district leaders for changes they said would preserve the separate identities of Da Vinci and Research Lab High School as the programs prepare to share a building.
"We are not against change. We simply want change that benefits our education without taking away the identity of our school," said Da Vinci student Kelani Hickey.
But students at Riverside High School questioned why their school community could be displaced to accommodate those changes.
"Why can't we find a solution where everyone has a place where nobody has to lose their family to make room for someone else?" asked Riverside senior Letitia Sadile.
Other speakers raised concerns about the proposal's potential impact on communities already facing socioeconomic challenges.
East Community High School Principal Tracy Cotter urged the board to consider the racial and socioeconomic implications of the proposed closures, drawing parallels to the lasting effects of the Kensington Expressway's construction on Buffalo's East Side.
Cotter questioned whether the district had sufficiently examined which neighborhoods would bear the greatest consequences of the changes.
"If we can calculate how many dollars will be saved, then surely we can calculate who will be asked to pay the human price," Cotter said.
East High senior Camille Cyrus, who also addressed the board, told BTPM News she was particularly concerned about student safety, transportation and whether families would have adequate support if the proposal moves forward.
“They're not thinking about the future of the students and of the seniors and juniors that are working hard to now have to figure out what school they're going to go to so they can get their education,” she said.
Prophet-Bullock maintained that revisions to the proposal were made in response to community feedback, but she acknowledged the district had fallen short in communicating those changes to families and stakeholders.
"We're not doing enough, and we will do better," she said.
The district will hold another public forum Monday, Oct. 26, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at West Hertel School Number 94. Prophet-Bullock encouraged families and community members to continue submitting questions and feedback before the next meeting.
A new date for the Board of Education's vote was not announced during Wednesday's meeting.
