The annual meeting for the organization of the School Committee (hereinafter
referred to as the "Committee") shall be held in the office of the Superintendent
of Schools at the first meeting following the annual election in March. The
meeting shall be called to order by the Superintendent of Schools, who shall
preside during and until the election of a Chairman.
The Committee shall elect a Chairman and a Secretary to continue in
office until his successor shall be elected or the term as a member of the
Committee expires. The Committee shall appoint a Recording Secretary with
adequate compensation. A vacancy occurring in these offices may be filled
at any regular meeting of the Committee.
Regular meetings of the Committee shall be held at the hour appointed
by the Committee on the first and third Tuesdays of each month, excepting
when it is on a legal holiday, in which case the meeting shall be held on
the following Tuesday. The Committee may, at its discretion, discontinue its
sessions during July, August and at any other time it deems advisable.
Special meetings of the Committee may be called by the Chairman, the
Superintendent of Schools or at the request of two members of the Committee,
provided always that a notice of 48 hours be given. The business of a special
meeting shall be limited to the purpose for which the meeting was called.
A.
All meetings shall be open to the public, except when
the Committee shall vote to hold an executive session. An executive session
shall be held when members of the personnel are under discussion. All proceedings
and debates of the Committee in executive session shall be strictly private
until secrecy is removed by the Committee. All votes shall be taken in meetings
that are open to the public, except as may be otherwise provided for by law.
B.
At executive meetings, all persons, other than duly elected
and qualified members, the Superintendent of Schools and the Recording Secretary
of the School Committee, shall be excluded. The Superintendent of Schools
shall be present at all meetings and have the right to speak on all matters
before the Committee, but shall not remain when his own election or salary
is under consideration.
A majority of the entire Committee shall constitute a quorum for the
transaction of business.
A.
There shall be no standing committees. The Committee
shall act as a committee of the whole on all matters pertaining to business
and educational policies.
B.
In all matters, the Committee shall act as a unit in
the legislative capacity according to the state laws and the rules and regulations
adopted; and in its administrative capacity according to adopted policies
as administered by the Superintendent of Schools. No member of the Committee,
by virtue of his office, shall exercise any administrative responsibility
with respect to the schools, nor may any Committee member as an individual
command the services of any school employee. A Committee member as an individual
has no official authority outside of Committee meetings, except those explicitly
delegated to him by an official action of the Committee.
C.
The Chairman of the Committee shall appoint from its
members one representative to the Stoughton High School Athletic Association
and one representative to the Stoughton Playground Commission.
It shall be the duty of every member to vote on all questions, motions
and resolutions submitted for action unless excused by the Committee from
so doing. A majority vote of all members present is required for the election
of officers or for any other action, unless otherwise indicated in the rules
and regulations. The ayes and nays on any vote shall be recorded whenever
any member of the Committee present requests it. Any vote passed by the majority,
although not unanimous, thereby becomes the will of the Committee and shall
be supported as such by all its members. Minority reports may be filed if
desired.
Any rule or regulation may be amended by a majority vote of the whole
Committee, provided that the proposed amendment has been presented in writing
at a previous meeting and a copy of the proposed amendment given to each member.
Any rule or regulation may be temporarily suspended at any meeting until
the next meeting by majority vote of the whole Committee.
The conduct of meetings and the business of the Committee shall be in
accordance with the laws of the state, the Town Charter and the rules of parliamentary
practice as laid down in Robert's Rules of Order, Revised Edition.
At all regular meetings of the Committee, the order of business shall
be as follows:
The Superintendent of Schools shall notify members of all meetings and
send to each member an agenda for all regular and special meetings and the
minutes of the previous regular and/or special meeting at least 24 hours before
the meeting.
[Amended 9-24-1968]
Any resident of the Town may petition for a hearing with the School
Committee through a letter, received at least 24 hours before the date of
a regular meeting. The letter must indicate the subject matter for the hearing.
No hearings shall be granted without a vote of the Committee.
Complaints to the Committee or appeals from the rulings of the Superintendent shall be presented to or referred to the Superintendent in writing for presentation to the Committee, with a copy to the Chairman of the School Committee of the grievance and the relief desired, or the complainant shall appear before the Committee in person in accordance with the requirements of § 311-36.
No action of the Committee shall be reconsidered or rescinded at a subsequent
meeting except by a vote of a majority of all the members of the Committee.
A member wishing to submit material for discussion or vote to a meeting
will submit such material to the Superintendent of Schools by 12:00 noon on
Monday, the day previous to the meeting, for inclusion on the agenda of the
meeting. Emergency matters may be acted upon with the approval of the majority
of the Committee.
