He clashed with the new one over condom availability in high schools and whether to make abstinence a centerpiece of AIDS awareness programs.

In October, the San Francisco adopted a policy of condom availability in all high schools, followed in December by Seattle.

The amendment seemed headed for victory since five members - including two supporters of condom availability - had indicated publicly that they would vote for it.

Without Ms. Segarra at her side, the board official said, Dr. Matthews would have become the sole advocate of condom availability who voted for the provision.

The grade on "condom availability" was determined mostly by whether a school's Web site showed where condoms could be obtained on campus.

Using that criteria, several schools received a failing grade for "condom availability."

"The policy is one of condom availability," he said.

Dr. Matthews noted that she had supported condom availability at health clinics inside the high schools and wanted to make sure the current plan was "a responsible plan."

Dr. Gwendolyn C. Baker, the board's president, said she had long favored condom availability but was concerned about providing a good plan.

He personally wants to move on to larger issues, like whether education might be better directed by smaller boroughwide boards, with or without condom availability.