By WBFO News
Buffalo, NY – The Buffalo Board of Education will not terminate the contract of Schools Superintendent James Williams.
The Board of Education returned to open session shortly before 2:00 P.M. Monday after a lenghty Executive Session where they discussed a possible no-fault termination of Williams' contract.
Buffalo School Board president Ralph Hernandez said that the Board had a very amicable and very cordial discussion about whether it would be appropriate to address the issue of Dr. Williams' no fault clause.
Hernandez offered few details of the closed-door discussion, citing requirement by law to not reveal any of the confidential information from executive session.
"It is the will of the board at this point in time that we will not at this point in time pursue Dr. Williams' termination," said Hernandez.
The board needed a simply majority to approve a contract termination.
The Buffalo Board of Education went into Executive Session Monday to consider a "no-fault" termination of the contract for Schools Superintendent James Williams.
If a termination of the contract had been approved, it would have required paying Williams a severance package of six months of his salary.
Williams recently announced his plans to retire next year. Hernandez has stated in the past that Williams has had seven years to turn the city school district around.
The Board faced increasing pressure by some to terminate Williams' contract earlier than next year in light of poor student performance and falling graduation rates.
Meanwhile, the Buffalo Fiscal Stability Authority Monday afternoon also discussed a buyout package of the deputy schools Superintendent Dr. Folasade Oladele. That decision was tabled.
The BFSA Board was two votes shy of the five votes needed to approve the buy-out. BFSA members said the issue will be discussed further at its next meeting on July 20.
Her buy-out would cost the School District $168,000.
The School board already approved her termination package. But the city control board must approve any city and district spending $50,000 or more.
Both Mayor Byron Brown and County Executive Chris Collins have told local media they are against the buyout. Both men sit on the city control board and are expected to vote against Oladele's buyout.