Buffalo school officials need to get back to the drawing board after the state Education Department rejected plans to transform Bennett High School into a science and technology school.In a letter released Wednesday, state officials say the district "does not provide the necessary evidence of planning and support" for the transformation of Bennett.
In a letter to Superintendent Pamela Brown, Deputy State Education Commissioner Ken Slentz said the plan submitted for Bennett "lacks evidence" it can be implemented by September and the district is directed to "cease enrolling new students in Bennett," including 9th graders and transfers.
The state is also calling upon district officials to clarify their plans for Martin Luther King Multicultural Institute. The district had recently received a $3.9 million federal grant to help turn MLK into a new Medical Campus School.
Slentz is requesting answers to a long list of questions about the plan and revised documents by the end of next week.