Williamsville, NY (WBEN) - The Williamsville Central School District is facing harsh criticisms with reopening just a day away.
The Williamsville School Board held an emergency meeting Sunday to address a sudden change in the district's reopening plans announced late Friday by Superintendent Dr. Scott Martzloff.
Martzloff Friday announced in a video message that remote learning for middle and high school students will be delayed. The changes impact about 1300 students.
Martzloff explained the district has had 90 staff members take a leave of absence due to COVID-19 and 111 staff members resign and said that there is not enough remaining staffing to meet the demand for hybrid and remote learners registered in the sdistrct.
"1,375 are at the middle and high school levels, which created more than 80 virtual teacher vacancies in the District. We are working diligently to fill those positions to begin instruction in the fully remote online learning model for students in grades 5-12," says Martzloff.
Martzloff adds students in the hybrid or fully remote online learning model will not be allowed to transfer instructional models until October 1, 2020. After October 1, 2020, the District will only allow students to transfer one time to a different instructional model.
All hybrid students and K-4 students in the fully remote learning will begin the year as scheduled.
The School Board released a statement Saturday indicating they had no notice of the reopening plan change and in a brief public meeting Sunday grilled Martzloff on the changes and questioned him on timing. Martzloff had no firm dates on when the remote learning could begin and also indicated that hybrid and remote students may not meet the state mandated minimum of 180 days of instruction.
Following the opening public portion of the meeting the school board went into a private executive session not available for the public or media.
Williamsville is among the districts set to reopen tomorrow.