Board limits district-attorney time for compensation committee, expands community membership
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Summary
After extended discussion, the Williamsville board unanimously capped district-attorney assistance for the compensation committee at two hours, agreed to expand randomly selected community seats to eight, and extended the interest-form deadline to Dec. 17; public comment included a speaker opposing pay for board members.
The Williamsville Central School District Board on Dec. 9 discussed the newly formed compensation committee, legal advice it should seek, and how the committee will be staffed and resourced. The board debated whether to use its district attorney or the New York State School Boards Association (NISBA) attorneys for legal guidance and how to preserve the committee’s timeline.
Miss Poulin suggested the committee consult NISBA attorneys (a resource the district pays into) to avoid incremental expenses; other board members said the committee co-chairs should first confer with the district attorney who provided the initial opinion so the committee’s timeline is preserved. Several members raised concerns about attorney-client privilege and about preserving the board’s commitment to the community timeline.
After discussion, the board approved two related motions. First, the board voted unanimously to cap future use of the district-approved attorney for the compensation committee at two hours (motion carried unanimously). Board members said NISBA or other resources could be used after that initial period if warranted. Second, the board unanimously approved an amendment to the committee charter to increase the number of randomly selected district stakeholders on the committee from three to eight; the board extended the deadline for interest-form submissions to Dec. 17 and said selections would be randomized (a Google random-number generator) and the selection meeting recorded for public transparency.
Public comment during the meeting included Ona Strang, who argued the board should not be paid and urged the district not to shift funds from classroom programs to board compensation. Strang told the board, “School board service is fundamentally about public trust and civic responsibility, not personal financial gain.”
Board members emphasized that the committee’s task is exploratory; no decision to provide compensation to board members has been made. The co-chairs will proceed within the amended charter and timeline; the district will notify newly selected community members after the random draw.