If interim Buffalo Public Schools Superintendent Tonja Williams had any notion that she would ease into the job, that should have been put to rest when she saw the items to be discussed Wednesday during her first School Board meeting in her new job.
On the agenda: the Covid-19 pandemic and trying to make schools safer.
By the time the meeting was over, plans were announced to deal with both.
Her administration presented a plan that calls for the hiring of 40 additional security staff, creating emergency plans specific to each school building and employing weapons detectors and security camera upgrades.
The move comes after the district came under fire for what some see as inadequate safety measures at some district schools following the stabbing of a 14-year-old student and the shooting of a security guard outside McKinley High School on Feb. 9, along with poor communication with parents and families.
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The incident was a factor in the board's decision to approve a termination agreement with former Superintendent Kriner Cash and to name Williams to replace him on an interim basis.
More examples of violence involving Buffalo Public Schools have come to light following the stabbing and shooting at McKinley High School on Feb. 9.Â
"It is time for our district to move to a new level," Williams said.
"In our district, families and community stakeholders must work together collectively, now speaking with one voice, focusing on one vision to achieve one mission, which is to ensure that the brilliance of our children – all of our children – is realized and celebrated every single day in all of our Buffalo Public Schools," she added.
Board members said they see Tonja Williams' hometown upbringing and knowledge of the district and community as a plus.
Meanwhile, the board approved by a vote of 8-1 a measure aimed at soon making daily life in the district look much like it did prior to the pandemic. Terrance Heard, an at-large member on the board, was the lone vote against the resolution by at-large member Larry Scott that will lift all Covid-19 restrictions for in-person classes and events by Monday.
That means parents will be allowed into schools. Students can go on field trips. Rugs can be put back into elementary classrooms. Student concerts, field days, open houses and other events can resume in person.
The change will bring the district in line with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, as well as New York State and Erie County laws and guidance, Scott said.
"With Covid-19 rates continuing to decline across the country, state, county and in our schools, it's more than time for the Buffalo Public Schools to resume in-person access, like all other school districts and non-public schools," Scott wrote a Facebook post announcing the measure that he introduced.
During the seven-day period ending Tuesday, 32 out of the more the 36,000 students, teachers and staff in the district tested positive for Covid-19, according to the State Department of Health. That is a positivity rate of .09%.
"Common sense would dictate that the administration of the school would make sure that this child had safe passage from school at the end of the day, and they neglected to do that,"  said John V. Elmore, attorney for Aurielle Austin, Sirgio Jeter's mother.
On April 4, after-school programs will begin at half of the district's elementary schools, Williams said.
"We have opened our buildings to visitors," she added, noting a policy that went into effect on March 7.
Williams said students also will be able to go to proms for the first time in two years. She noted a new variant of Covid-19 and that the district will be in consultation with the state and medical experts on its progression.
Williams also talked about a listening tour that she had taken in the district since she was appointed interim superintendent two weeks ago. They include appearing on local radio programs and visiting churches.
"I want to hear from the community what their concerns are," she said.Â
In a letter to employees and families on Tuesday, Williams acknowledged cases of "bullying, fighting and other disturbing behavior" in the Buffalo Public Schools over the past few weeks, which was echoed by many parents and some students who spoke at Wednesday's board meeting. However, schools across the country are experiencing similar issues, Williams wrote.
She pointed to the pandemic as a key factor.
"Many experts have attributed this erratic and troubling behavior to the arrested social emotional development of our students resulting from the pandemic," Williams wrote. "The physical disconnection that our students experienced has manifested into behaviors signaling an outcry for help."
She said the district will pursue additional training for staff and other strategies to address the concerns, but did not offer specifics.
Staff writer Mary B. Pasciak contributed to this report.
