In a move that stunned Buffalo education circles Monday night, Dr. Pascal Mubenga abruptly resigned as superintendent of Buffalo Public Schools just 11 months into a four-year contract. The Board of Education voted in a special session to accept his immediate resignation and tapped Dr. Ebony Prophet-Bullock to step in as interim superintendent effective July 14.
Mubenga was hired last summer and began his four-year term in August 2025 with an annual salary of $285,000, part of a board-approved deal to lead New York’s second-largest school district. When they brought him in, board members highlighted his reputation for data-driven improvement, as noted by Spectrum News.
His time in Buffalo followed a rocky exit from Durham Public Schools in North Carolina, where he resigned in February 2024 after accounting errors tied to a new compensation plan left hundreds of classified employees incorrectly paid. The fallout there included protests, school closures and an outside investigation. The News & Observer reported that the review cited faulty calculations and serious communication breakdowns inside the district’s finance office.
After Monday night’s meeting, the Buffalo board released a brief written statement saying members had accepted Mubenga’s immediate resignation and "will have no further comment at this time." According to WKBW, community leaders were caught off guard by the sudden change, and the district has not said whether Mubenga will receive any remaining contract payments.
Interim leader has deep district ties
Taking the helm on an interim basis, Dr. Ebony E. Prophet-Bullock comes from inside the system, not from outside Buffalo. She currently serves on the district’s cabinet as chief accountability officer and has been part of Buffalo Public Schools leadership for years. The district’s official cabinet page outlines her role and responsibilities, and Buffalo Public Schools presents her as a source of internal continuity at a moment when the board clearly wants to steady the ship.
In another sign the board was ready to move quickly, members agreed to waive the usual 90-day notice that often comes before a superintendent’s departure. WKBW also reported that Mubenga’s contract does not contain a severance clause. District officials told reporters they would not comment further while the leadership transition plays out.
Governance questions remain
The sudden leadership shake-up arrives on top of existing turbulence on the board, including a late-June resignation by a board member and an outside review of board governance. Buffalo Toronto Public Media and other outlets have chronicled the board’s internal disputes. Board leaders, however, have not publicly linked those governance issues to Mubenga’s departure.
For now, the priority inside City Hall and school buildings is stability. Prophet-Bullock will handle day-to-day operations while the board figures out its long-term plan. Families, staff and union leaders will be watching closely to see how fast the board moves to launch a search for a permanent superintendent. So far, no timeline has been set.
