Dr. Pascal Mubenga’s tenure as superintendent of Buffalo Public Schools ended almost as quickly as it began.
The Buffalo Board of Education voted Monday, July 13, to accept Mubenga’s immediate resignation and appointed Dr. Ebony Prophet-Bullock as interim superintendent effective July 14. The board did not provide a reason for the resignation and said it would have no further comment.
Mubenga was appointed in July 2025 after a national search. He arrived in Buffalo with more than 25 years in public education, including experience as a math teacher, school administrator, state education official and superintendent of Franklin County Schools in North Carolina.
His selection also drew attention because he had recently left Durham Public Schools, where his tenure ended amid a dispute over employee pay and district finances.
A short tenure shaped by an earlier controversy
Mubenga resigned as Durham superintendent in February 2024 after the district acknowledged that some classified employees had received pay increases that were not properly funded. The issue contributed to staff protests, sick-outs and operational problems, including transportation disruptions.
News reports at the time said Mubenga had been aware of the pay issue before it became public and hired an outside consultant to examine the matter. The controversy prompted an internal review and increased criticism from employees, parents and some community groups.
When he was introduced in Buffalo, Mubenga acknowledged the mistake and said he had learned from it. Buffalo school board leaders nevertheless backed his experience managing a large, diverse district and said stakeholder feedback supported his appointment.
There is no public indication that Mubenga faced a comparable financial or labor controversy during his Buffalo tenure. His departure came as the district confronted significant budget, enrollment and school-capacity challenges.
What Mubenga pursued in Buffalo
Mubenga’s first months focused heavily on listening and districtwide assessment. In a 100-day report released by Buffalo Public Schools, the district said he visited all 60 schools, reviewed academic and financial data, met with school communities and began developing a strategic plan.
His administration also promoted what district documents described as a “New Education Bargain” involving students, parents and the broader community. The initiative was framed as an effort to create a more unified school system, strengthen communication and connect school improvement work to student outcomes.
Among Mubenga’s stated priorities were improved student achievement, stronger family engagement and more careful financial stewardship. He also emphasized attendance, arguing that schools need to recognize and encourage students who improve their attendance even if they are not yet attending consistently.
His administration continued to advocate for additional support for students with special needs and English language learners. In budget documents submitted to state lawmakers, the district sought more funding for health services, social workers, guidance counselors, psychologists and technology-related needs.
Those efforts produced some concrete administrative progress, including a proposed 2026-27 budget that was ultimately approved unanimously by the Board of Education. The budget was built around difficult choices, including staffing reductions and potential school closures, while also adding special education classrooms and other support positions.
Budget and closure decisions dominated final months
The financial problems facing Buffalo Public Schools were not created by Mubenga, but they became a central part of his first year. District leaders warned that declining enrollment, expiring federal pandemic aid and rising costs were putting pressure on future budgets.
Mubenga initially supported closing two schools as part of a response to the district’s financial and enrollment challenges. That proposal was later paused, and the district developed an alternative approach during the budget process. Subsequent planning documents continued to identify school closures and reductions as issues the district would need to address.
Those decisions placed Mubenga between competing demands from families, employees, board members and fiscal overseers. Supporters viewed the budget process as an effort to confront problems that had been deferred. Critics questioned whether cuts and closures would weaken neighborhood schools and student services.
A legacy that will be difficult to measure
Because Mubenga’s tenure lasted only about a year, many of his initiatives remained in the planning or early implementation stages. His 100-day report outlined a framework for long-term change, but there has not been enough time to determine whether the strategy improved academic performance across the district.
His record in Buffalo is therefore likely to be judged less by test scores or graduation rates than by the systems he attempted to establish: broader school visits, a districtwide strategic plan, increased attention to financial management and a willingness to confront the district’s structural budget problems.
For Buffalo Public Schools, the immediate challenge is now continuity. Prophet-Bullock will lead the district while the board determines its next steps, including whether to begin another national search for a permanent superintendent.
Mubenga leaves Buffalo with some early administrative accomplishments, major unresolved challenges and a tenure too brief to provide a definitive verdict on whether his reform agenda could have succeeded.
