WILLIAMSVILLE, N.Y. (WBEN) - Don't expect New York State to intervene much with the controversy surrounding Williamsville Schools, according to a former board of regents chancellor and other sources.
"If instruction was being impaired or compromised in any way, shape, or form, then New York State has the authority to say to the school board 'What's going on? Please explain exactly what you're doing and why you're doing what you're doing'," former chancellor Bob Bennett told WBEN. "It wouldn't surprise me that the state might do that, at least, since they have the whole state to worry about."
Bennett, though, doesn't think the state will intervene because there are hundreds of other districts that are facing their own unique challenges related to reopening.
"What are they going to do?" Bennett said of the state.
Another source with a significant history in state education affairs told WBEN that it's highly unlikely the state education department will intervene in school affairs partly because of local laws. Both Bennett and the source said receivership is out of the question. Receivership would require at least three years of a school to be classified as "failing".
Williamsville Central Schools remains in the spotlight because of their handling of reopening within their district that has approximately 10,000 students enrolled. Students between fifth grade and twelfth grade began remote learning on Tuesday, though students and parents protested outside the district offices that morning because they want to be physically back in the classroom.
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Much of the public blame early was pinned on Superintendent Scott Martzloff, who was placed on leave by the school board before the district welcomed kids back to school. Since then, parents and students directed their blame on other administrators such as the board of education and acting Superintendent John McKenna.
"There shouldn't be any school district anywhere in the state that doesn't understand what the health department's expectations are," Bennett said. "...If I was on the Williamsville School Board and things keep changing or are compromised, I think they might find a call from the state coming forward."
Bennett said Williamsville officials can avoid further headache by holding public conferences with the superintendent and board president to explain their rationale behind their decisions.
"If they now have plans in place, they should explain that and say why and, at the same time, communicate that to the state of New York and the commissioner of education," he said. "This should be a transparent issue. This COVID issue is no secret to anybody. It's a very difficult time to do things. I have two grandchildren in the Amherst system. They go two days a week and they're at home three days a week. They've known that for six weeks and so far so good."
Williamsville schools will tentatively return students to the classroom on November 16 for fifth and sixth graders and January 4 for students between seventh grade and twelfth grade.
NYS School Board Association Executive Director Bob Schneider declined comment when reached on Tuesday.
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