Published: June 27, 2009 11:40 pm      

FALLS SCHOOLS: Giarrizzo ‘moving up’ to Tonawanda

The Niagara Falls School District is losing more than just its second-in-command business officer when Joseph Giarrizzo leaves for the City of Tonawanda School District in two weeks.

It’s also losing one of its most vocal sports fans.

Giarrizzo, a graduate of the old Niagara Falls High School and former president of the Board of Education, has accepted the position of administrator for school business services for Tonawanda schools. The new venture is a step up from his job as director of financial services with the Falls, which he’s held since 2002.

“This was a personal aspiration of mine and an opportunity to sit in the big chair,” he said. “I’ve been here for seven years. It was time to explore.”

Elected to the school board in 1998, Giarrizzo served three years before stepping down in order to apply for the finance director’s position with the district. He worked for several years under former Business Administrators Roy Rogers and, later, James Ingrasci.

Falls School Superintendent Cynthia Bianco described Giarrizzo as a hard worker who was very enthusiastic about his job and the district.

“Tonawanda is getting a really fine person,” she said. “I wish him the best of luck.”

All nine Falls school board members gave Giarrizzo a positive send-off during Thursday’s meeting, praising him for his service and efforts. Bianco will be meeting with the school board soon to discuss her ideas to fill the position.

“I always try to have a back-up plan to fill key positions,” she said.

Giarrizzo took over finance duties on an interim basis last year after Ingrasci abruptly resigned just prior to a blistering audit of the district’s finance management was released by State Comptroller Thomas P. DiNapoli’s office. The report accused the district of mismanaging hundreds of thousands of dollars by giving employees undue compensation, among other problems. In all, that audit had 33 recommendations for corrective action, including disciplinary action against Ingrasci and other school officials.

Giarrizzo said the negative audit has nothing to do with his decision to leave the district. He had applied for Ingrasci’s position last fall in hopes of becoming the district’s top finance administrator but didn’t get the job. The promotion likely would have earned him a higher annual salary than the $98,000 he will receive in the smaller school district of Tonawanda.

The district initially hired William Leardini to temporarily replace Ingrasci, and in May hired Richard Hitzges on an interim basis to the top finance job. Giarrizzo said not being promoted helped him realize he needed to seek other opportunities.

“I’ve been thinking about moving up, and it didn’t look like it was going to happen here,” he said. “I think we’re doing a lot of good things here and making progress but it was time for me to take that chance and opportunity.”

Apart from his service to the district as a school board member and paid employee, many will remember him for whipping sports fans into a frenzy as part of Niagara Falls High School’s pep band. Giarrizzo has made several trips to Glens Falls to support the Wolverines basketball team compete for state championships and the pep band has become a popular fixture during home games.

Though he’s planning to bring that spirit to the City of Tonawanda’s sports program, he’s still hoping to cheer on his alma mater and help out the Falls pep band on occasion.

“There will be a part of me that will always be Power Cats red and gray and Wolverine blue and gold,” he said.

Contact reporter Rick Forgione

at 282-2311, ext. 2257.