Buffalo Schools Revise Proposed Eight-School Closure Plan

Buffalo Public Schools revised its proposal to close eight schools and reorganize programs beginning in 2027-28. The latest plan would close PS 17 and convert it to administrative use, remove PS 82 from the closure list, give Middle Early College its own building, and return Leonardo da Vinci and Research Laboratory high schools to a proposed shared location at Riverside Academy. District leaders say the plan could save $24 million annually amid a projected budget deficit, while board members have also cited avoiding disruption to next year’s student placements. Community concerns include the proposed closure of the city’s only bilingual school outside the West Side and inadequate Spanish-language access to meetings and documents. The proposal remains subject to public input and a school board vote.