The Buffalo Board of Education cleared some major problem issues Wednesday night, as it had a marathon session in Performing Arts School.
The school board had decided to hold many of its full and committee meetings out in the schools and started at 5:30 p.m. and finished after midnight Thursday. That included nearly three hours behind closed doors in an executive session.
While it spent much time listening to complaints about a now-reinstated volleyball coach at City Honors and the problems of endless paperwork, the big actions were approving schools superintendent Pamela Brown's management reorganization and a consulting deal.
School board Member John Licata said the board agreed to end a controversial consulting contract, waiting 90 days.
"There's a transition period. There's work being performed by the consultants that if, let's say, another person were employed by the district to take over the work that the consultant was performing that employee could then learn what was being done and there would be a seamless transition for supports for the staff and provide for the students education," Licata said.
The District's consulting contract with Cross and Joftus included Mary Guinn, who was acting deputy superintendent and then a consultant, with major management responsibilities in the school system.
School board member Carl Paladino lost in his effort to end the contract ended immediately, but won on the board agreeing to stop its secret small group meetings, at which issues were discussed, however there were not enough people present to trigger open meetings laws.
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