Amherst District wants Town Board to back off from nursing issue
by JESSICA L. FINCH Associate Editor

It's been common practice for boards to pass resolutions stating their opinion on matters that don't involve them - just to go on the record.

But the Amherst Town Board's resolution "Maintaining the Health and Safety of ALL Children in the Amherst School District," unanimously approved on Feb. 4, upset School Superintendent Laura K. Chabe and board President William Blanford, who wrote a letter in response.

The town's resolution included the line, "cease any discussions or actions of cuts pertaining to all private schools within their district."

The district has been under verbal attack from residents and parents who say nurses' hours should not be reduced because it could be dangerous for the children.

In the letter, sent on Feb. 11 to Supervisor Satish Mohan and the Town Board, Chabe said she spoke with Mohan and they agreed that, "these kinds of actions are a misuse of political power and could seriously jeopardize a long tradition of collaboration and cooperation between the district and the town."

The letter also stated, "Your actions, however, belied the spirit of understanding when Deputy Supervisor Shelly Schratz and Board Member Debra Bruch Bucki appeared at the meeting of the Amherst Central School Board on February 5, 2008."

Both Town Board members spoke during the public comment period, and the letter accused them of using their status as official town representatives to admonish the School Board for considering staff reduction as part of its budget process.

In response to the letter, Bucki said she identified herself as a Town Board member but spoke during the School Board meeting as a registered nurse.

"My remarks were spoken from experience, and I was only encouraging the school district to continue the level of coverage it's presently providing," she said.

She added that the Town Board's resolution doesn't tell the school what to do, but respectfully expresses its opinion.

In the past, the board has passed similar resolutions including ones on federally proposed changes. While in those cases the Town Board has no control over a situation, the resolution puts its opinion on record.

According to the letter, during the School Board meeting, Schratz announced her town resolution, which was followed with audience applause.

"While it certainly played to the politician's ego, it did nothing to bring reasoned and informed discourse to a serious matter within the School Board's purview," the letter stated.

Chabe and Blanford expressed their disappointment in the Town Board's attempt to stifle and influence the budget discussions.

"Schratz stated in her public comment that the school board should be cognizant that the town board decided to spend $1.8 million to place a new youth center close to our Windermere Boulevard School," the letter stated. "You should know that we found deeply offensive the clear implication that a 'favor' has been bestowed on the school district, that the district was beholden to that gift, and that it somehow had a bearing on the district's budget deliberation."

The letter asked the board to rescind its resolution.

"How unfortunate that the Amherst Town Board demonstrated a lack of understanding and respect toward another municipal body by taking these highly inappropriate actions," the letter concluded.

Schratz was attending a conference out of town and was not available for comment before press time.