Former Durham superintendent starts over in Buffalo following tenuous DPS exit: 'Learned my lesson'
BUFFALO, N.Y. (WTVD) -- Dr. Pascal Mubenga is stepping into a new role as superintendent of Buffalo Public Schools, more than a year after resigning from the same position in Durham following a pay dispute.
"When things go well, I take credit for it. When it goes wrong, I take responsibility for it," Mubenga said Tuesday as he was formally introduced in Buffalo.
Mubenga's tenure at Durham Public Schools (DPS) ended in February of last year amid a controversy over employee pay. The fallout included a shortage of bus drivers, multiple sick-outs, protests, and frustration from both staff and parents.
I was able to learn from that particular mistake ... I'm not expecting that to happen here because I learned my lesson- Dr. Pascal Mubenga
It all began when DPS revealed in January of 2024 that some employees had been overpaid -- an issue that officials say Mubenga was aware of the previous November and had even hired a consulting firm to help address, reportedly without informing the school board.
On Tuesday, Mubenga was pressed by reporters about his time in Durham and asked whether Buffalo could expect similar problems.
"I was able to learn from that particular mistake, and to answer your specific questions, I'm not expecting that to happen here because I learned my lesson," he said, after touting some of his successes during his seven-year DPS tenure, such as improving grades at schools and raising principal pay to the highest in the state.
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Buffalo school board president Dr. Kathy Evans-Brown stood by the decision to hire Mubenga, responding to a question from reporters about whether the issues in Durham disqualify him to serve in the same role in Buffalo.
"We know that confidentially, that financial matter that made headlines in Durham will not be repeated in our books, that he will have the support he needs in Buffalo," Evans-Brown said.
She also noted that Mubenga discussed the issues in Durham candidly with the board multiple times before being offered the position.
Mubenga's resignation from DPS came with a severance package of nearly $300,000. In Buffalo, he begins a four-year contract with an annual salary of $285,000 -- slightly less than what he earned in Durham.
The ABC11 I-Team has submitted several public records requests in New York to learn more about the selection process behind Mubenga's appointment.
