The Buffalo Board of Education on Wednesday evening balked at supporting a state reform plan, leaving Superintendent James A. Williams seeking millions of dollars in federal aid without the backing of the board or the district’s teachers union.

“Board, you’re making a big mistake — a big mistake,” Williams said at a highly charged meeting of a board committee. “I just want the public to know this is a mistake, folks.”

Board President Ralph Hernandez said he personally supports the Race to the Top grant application but will not sign off on it without the backing of the full board.

While Hernandez and Christopher Jacobs supported endorsing the state position paper, Vivian Evans and Pamela Perry-Cahill opposed it, and Mary Ruth Kapsiak appeared to be in opposition but said she was not taking a position.

Board members Catherine Nugent Panepinto, Florence Johnson, John Licata and Lou Petrucci were not present for the discussion.

Hernandez agreed to a suggestion by Jacobs to privately poll the members who weren’t present and to sign off on the plan if the consensus of the full board turns out to be favorable.

Meanwhile, Hernandez said, Williams is left hanging in his efforts to seek up to $500,000 in highly competitive federal aid for each of six or seven underperforming Buffalo schools.

“I understand how demoralizing that has to be to him,” Hernandez said. “He’s going out there pretty much naked.”

Buffalo can apply for a portion of a $700 million grant the state is seeking with just Williams’ signature. But the state is urging school districts to boost their chances of getting the aid by also having the support of board presidents and teachers union leaders.

Buffalo Teachers Federation President Philip Rumore said earlier this week he will not endorse the state document before Friday’s deadline and is urging the union’s Council of Delegates to vote against it at a Jan. 21 meeting.

At Wednesday’s meeting, those opposed to having Hernandez sign the document said they are concerned about a wide range of proposals it contains, its vagueness and a deadline that didn’t give them enough time to fully study it.

“It seems to be promises of what might be,” Perry-Cahill said. “We’re signing something before we even know what it is.”

Evans said the state plan will increase assessment testing.

“We’re testing our children too much as it already is,” she said. “What are we doing with all the data?”

Kapsiak questioned why Hernandez needs a board consensus before deciding whether to sign the document. “Don’t put me in a position of saying I agree or disagree today,” she said.

“You just want to dodge a decision,” Jacobs said. Failing to support the application “jeopardizes millions of dollars over the next couple years,” he added.