BUFFALO, N.Y. — After weeks of protests, Sandra Betters has announced that she will resign as the school's president.
2 On Your Side received a statement late Wednesday from the Nardin Academy Board of Trustees, saying that Betters will step down effective June 30.
"Dr. Sandra Betters has informed the Nardin Academy Board of Trustees that for the betterment of all within the Nardin community, including students and employees, she will be stepping down from her role as President of Nardin Academy as of June 30," the statement said.
The statement went on to say that the board will get to work on a transition plan, which includes hiring a new president. Nine board members have also agreed to step aside as part of that transition.
"We are grateful for the dedication and commitment that they have shown to Nardin, and we thank them for their service to the school," the trustees statement read.
The school will also focus on what's called a Plan for Healing and Growth, "which we believe will enable the school to harness and activate our collective love for Nardin as a beacon for Catholic values and educational excellence and strengthen the school for current and future generations."
Here is the Nardin Academy Board of Trustees statement, in full:
The Nardin Academy Board of Trustees has come together and agreed upon the following measures that will enable the school to move forward as a united community, focused on stability, renewal, healing, and growth.
These include:
- Dr. Sandra Betters has informed the Nardin Academy Board of Trustees that for the betterment of all within the Nardin community, including students and employees, she will be stepping down from her role as President of Nardin Academy as of June 30. Dr. Betters would like to thank her team and the Daughters for their support and ongoing commitment to Nardin Academy and its students.
- In the coming days and weeks, the Board will be working collaboratively on a transition plan. This will include the hiring of an interim President as well as building out, and implementing, the school’s “Plan for Healing and Growth” which we believe will enable the school to harness and activate our collective love for Nardin as a beacon for Catholic values and educational excellence and strengthen the school for current and future generations.
In accordance with these measures, nine members of the Nardin Board of Trustees have agreed to step aside from the Board. We are grateful for the dedication and commitment that they have shown to Nardin, and we thank them for their service to the school.
As a Board, we remain united in our unwavering commitment to serve as custodians of the school’s fiduciary and governance oversight, stewards of its mission values, and champions for the legacy of our founders, the Daughters of the Heart of Mary. We firmly believe that these decisions are what is best and right for Nardin Academy and the entire Nardin community, especially its current and future students.