Once again the Buffalo Board of Education must fill the Park District seat. WBFO's senior reporter Eileen Buckley says the school board will be accepting new applications.
The Buffalo School Board must fill the vacant seat in the next 30-days. Dr. Catherine Flanagan resigned unexpectedly last week, saying she was upset with the way the board handled the selection of a new provider for school nurses.
Priore was appointed last September after the board had to fill the seat when controversial board member Carl Paladino was ousted by the State Education Commissioner. He's appealing that ruling and wants the seat back.
School Board president Barbara Seals Nevergold tells WBFO News they will work, once again, to fill the seat.
“Carl wants that seat back. How vulnerable does this leave that seat right now?” Buckley questioned.
“I think they’re two different things when you look at it – I mean certainly the removal of Mr. Paladino was the impious that allowed us to search for his replacement and to select Dr.Flanagan-Priore, but her decision to leave the position, as a protest – an ethical decision she made is really separate from Carl’s case, so I would not equate the two and I don’t think it gives him anymore standing in his appeal then before she resigned,” Seals Nevergold responded.
Priore told reporters she resigned because she didn't believe the board provided enough transparency in selecting a new nursing contract.
“I said it a thousand times over – I’ll say it a thousand times more – there were incredibly qualified people who wanted that seat – who vying for that seat – as a matter of fact I have spoken with several of them since this has happened and in all reality, I trust that someone else who feels like they, perhaps, won’t have the same conflict of interest, perhaps will feel like they can fill that seat in a better way than I’ve been able to at this point,” Priroe explained.
Those interested in applying for the Park District seat must be from south Buffalo. If board members cannot fill it within 30-days it would be up to the Mayor to pick a candidate and then seek Common Council approval.
