From Niagara Falls City School District Superintendent Mark Laurrie - October 2025

A great start to September in our schools

I readily admit that I entered this school year with some uncertainty, wondering what would occur with the new SMART device/cellphone ban. I thought the ban could be a bone of contention between students, parents/guardians, and district staff. The response to the ban on cellphones and smart devices, however, has been extremely positive and supportive. The staff in our schools are setting the example by not using their cellphones. Board Member and Niagara Falls High School Senior Harjyot Kaur remarked that the noise level at the high school has increased and that is a good thing because students are now talking to each other face-to-face, and that the ban has kept the school “calm and focused.” I pledge never to wonder about the great students of Niagara Falls again. 

The successful start of the SMART device ban set a positive foundation for more significant accomplishments in the Niagara Falls City School District this September. This has allowed us to focus academically and social emotionally in a manner that is just outstanding. 

The first month of the 2025 – 2026 also marked the start of Say Yes Niagara Falls. The Niagara Falls City School District (NFCSD) is the first school district to have the excellent Say Yes Buffalo program expansion. A spirited kickoff to the new Say Yes Niagara Falls took place at Harry F. Abate Elementary School on September 30, 2025. The inaugural program of the collaboration between Say Yes Buffalo and Say Yes Niagara Falls, Say Yes Saturday Academy Schools provide school and neighborhood resources to help students learn and strengthen families. It is an initiative that brings together schoolwork, health, and social services. These academies also support community growth and engagement. In Niagara Falls, they will rotate between four schools: Abate Elementary School, Gaskill Preparatory School, Bloneva Bond Primary School, and Cataract Elementary School. The first Saturday Academy was on October 4, 2025, at Cataract Elementary. The next Saturday Academy will occur at Bloneva Bond Primary School on October 18, 2025.

In keeping with the spirit of cooperation with community organizations, on Wednesday, September 24, 2025, the district held a news conference at Bloneva Bond Primary School to announce a newly formed partnership with the Buffalo-based Sleep in Heavenly Peace (SHP) bed-building program. SHP’s motto is “no kid sleeps on the floor in our town.” Volunteers build beds, which are then donated to NFCSD students who lack a safe, comfortable place to sleep. The group has delivered 20 beds so far, and 76 families have requested a total of 156 beds. The news conference regarding the NFCSD’s partnership with Sleep in Heavenly Peace received considerable media coverage, and several volunteers have joined the cause as a result. Program donations have reached $20,000, including a $10,000 check from John Cousins, one of the program's originators. The students at Hyde Park Elementary have stepped up to help their peers in need and have filled an entire bin with linens to donate to Sleep in Heavenly Peace. 

Interscholastic athletics play a key role in the development and growth of our students. We have 543 students participating in seven different sports at the modified, junior varsity, and varsity levels. Our dedicated coaches provided guidelines and support to these student athletes. Our goal is always success on the field, but we pride ourselves on having every team demonstrate scholar-athletic team success. This means that a majority of the team maintains a school academic average of over 90%.

How many schools can boast of having their own Greenhouse? Bloneva Bond Elementary now has a new community greenhouse, which was unveiled at an event on Tuesday, September 2, 2025. Students from across the district will engage in learning not just how to grow plants, but also how to grow plants that will benefit the surrounding area, which is considered a food desert. The idea is to provide hands-on learning in growing, as opposed to learning about it in a book. Eventually, the district plans to add more greenhouses to other schools, such as Harry F. Abate Elementary, Gaskill Preparatory, and Niagara Falls High School, progressing as students advance through grade levels. This would eventually lead the district to expose students to different careers in agriculture.

It bears repeating that I am so proud of the NFCSD’s students, parents/guardians, and staff for making the kickoff to the new school year one of the best. The tone is set – imagine what the district will accomplish next.