Buffalo, N.Y. (WBEN) - School is back in session in the City of Buffalo!
Students and staff were welcomed back to school on Thursday for the first official day of classes across the Buffalo Public School District. It is also the first day of school for new superintendent Dr. Pascal Mubenga, who takes over this year after the retirement of Dr. Tonja Williams Knight this past June.
"It's a great day. I would like for us really to start really positive," said Dr. Mubenga, who started his tour of welcoming students back to schools at Houghton Academy in the Kaisertown neighborhood. "Let's forget about the past or the challenges that we had in the past. It's normal. Any school system you go, there's going to be some positive things that's happening and also some challenges as well. But I'm really hopeful. We have great schools here, we have great students, and we have a great community that's going to support us to be able to move our schools forward."
Houghton Academy was one of five scheduled stops on Dr. Mubenga's tour on Thursday, while he's slated for another few stops at schools across the district on Friday.
Dr. Mubenga's message for students on the first day of school on Thursday is centered around being in classes and respecting the staff that cares for them on a regular basis.
"Attendance is going to be one of my key factors, really, to push to our parents. Bring your babies. They cannot learn if they don't come, regardless of the circumstances that they may face. Bring them," Dr. Mubenga said. "They're going to come, and I'm going to make sure we're going to work with our leaders so that they can experience joy and learning. We're not going to waste their time."
Dr. Mubenga also pleads for parents and guardians to believe in the district and what school administrators and teachers will bring for their children this coming academic year in Buffalo.
"I really want to make sure that every six hours or seven hours when our babies are there on our campuses, we're going to maximize the opportunity to make sure that they're getting the learning that they deserve," Dr. Mubenga said. "Our babies need to come to school. They cannot learn, they're gonna be behind compared to their peers if they don't come to school. Parents, I'm begging you, regardless of their circumstances."
In his first few weeks officially on the job as superintendent, Dr. Mubenga has gotten the chance to meet with a number of school board members, school administrators and leadership of the Buffalo Teachers Federation. While he has yet to meet with a number of teachers and staff at schools, Dr. Mubenga welcomes anyone to greet him and say hello.
"Keep in mind, teachers are the No. 1 factor when it comes to moving student achievement," he said. "I cannot wait to meet those teachers."
One of the major changes heading into the 2025-26 school year in Buffalo is the implementation of the statewide bell-to-bell cell phone ban. Dr. Mubenga is also asking parents to help in this endeavor, and have conversations with their children about the expectations for this policy.
"I remember my years when my kids are growing up, I have three that are grown, at the beginning of the school year, the eve of the first day of school, we sit down and we talked about those expectations. I hope our parents are going to be able to do the same thing," Dr. Mubenga said. "Tell the kids what they can do, what they cannot do, and our job is going to be easier just to focus on loving them and educating them."
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