A national education reform group based in New York City is pouring more than $50,000 into Buffalo's Board of Education elections this year.

Education Reform Now has identified three candidates it believes would support its agenda, which includes increasing the number of charter schools and linking teacher compensation to performance.

The group's financial support appears likely to eclipse the money spent by the other two

key players in the race, the Buffalo Teachers Federation and the Buffalo Niagara Partnership.

Each of those groups estimated they would be spending about $10,000 this year, although final

tallies will not be publicly disclosed for several weeks.

Chart: Buffalo Board of Education candidates with their endorsements

Earlier: Contests waged for five Buffalo School Board seats

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Video: Candidates give their opinions on issues facing Buffalo Public Schools

Joe Williams, the executive director of Education Reform Now, said the nonprofit has been

involved with a number of legislative issues at the state level, including efforts to lift the

cap on charter schools.

The group has sent out slick, full-color postcards to support three candidates: Philip

Lomax in the West District, whose children attend a charter school; Jason McCarthy in the

North District, who is vocal in his support of charters; and Kinzer Pointer in the Ferry

District, who is the coordinator of parent and community service at Enterprise Charter School.

This year's race in Buffalo marks the first time the group has gotten involved in a local

school board race in New York State. The state's dire financial situation is forcing school

districts to make tough financial decisions, Williams said.

"It's forcing a lot of reform issues," he said. "This is the time it's got to be a really

robust discussion. This may be our last chance to save public education. This is an important

opportunity to try to push a progressive education agenda."

The group, which is closely tied to Democrats for Education Reform, has a number of

individual backers who have asked not to be named until the group is required to disclose the

information to the Internal Revenue Service, Williams said. Education Reform Now also has been

active recently in Colorado, Rhode Island, New Jersey and other states.

Williams said his group selected the Buffalo candidates based largely on Internet research

and recommendations from people it has worked with locally. An attorney advised the group not

to contact any of the candidates, to avoid jeopardizing the spending's categorization as

independent expenditures, he said.

The group also considered backing East District incumbent Vivian Evans, he said, but

decided to focus its financial resources on just three candidates.

All three candidates backed by Education Reform Now also have the support of the Buffalo

Niagara Partnership. The business group also supports Evans and Central District incumbent

Mary Ruth Kapsiak.

"The people we've endorsed are the true reform, kid-oriented, tax dollar-sensitive folk,"

said Andrew J. Rudnick, president and chief executive officer of the Partnership. "This is a

big business. This is a billion dollar budget. You need committed, reform-minded folks to be

the board of directors."

A candidate's position on charter schools was an important factor, he said, but one of

many. Some of the candidates backed by the Partnership do not support charter schools, he

said.

The Buffalo Teachers Federation has endorsed one candidate also backed by the Partnership:

Kapsiak, a former teacher and administrator. The union also has endorsed Patricia E. Devis in

the North District, who teaches chemistry at Erie Community College; Ralph R. Hernandez, the

West District incumbent who is president of the board; Evans; Pamela D. Cahill, the incumbent

in the Ferry District, whom union president Phil Rumore described as "a little dynamo;" and

Park District incumbent Louis J. Petrucci, who is running unopposed.

Rumore cited Kapsiak's professional experience, saying it makes her knowledgeable about

education, and praised what he said was Devis' lack of political ties. Rumore acknowledged

that the union has had its disagreements with Hernandez and Cahill, but said they both have

proven to be strong advocates for children.

"Evans was our closest call," Rumore said. "Our major concern is that she's running as part

of the [Partnership's] bloc. She said she was not running with them as a bloc. We feel we can

work with her."

Other candidates in this year's race include Bryon McIntyre in the Central District, a

Buffalo firefighter and substitute teacher; Theresa A. Harris-Tigg in the East District, an

assistant professor of English at Buffalo State College; and Lawrence L. Scott in the North

District, a school psychologist in the Kenmore-Town of Tonawanda School District.

Polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday at a variety of locations in the city. To

find out what district you live in and your polling place, visit http://elections.erie.gov/precinctfinder.aspx.