BPS School Closure Committee to hold first public session

The Buffalo Public Schools Closure Committee will hold their first public input session on Monday.

The meeting will take place at 5 p.m. at BAVPA PS No. 192, located at 450 Masten Ave.

The new committee will be tasked with identifying at least two schools to close at the end of this current school year.

The committee is made up of nine members – Harper Bishop, Carolyn Jemison, Katrinna Martin, Stephon Wright, Keith Jones, Maria Rosa, Edward Speidel, Nathan Feist and Fred Yellen.

This comes as part of the school board’s 4-year “right-sizing” plan. The plan seeks to maintain fund balances as the school board said it will run out of money in the next four years without structured deficits totaling more than $200 million. That includes an $83 million deficit for the upcoming school year.

The school district also expects to cut 180 positions for this school year and an additional 120 by the following school year.