No member of the school committee shall hold any other compensated
city position. No former member of the school committee shall hold
any compensated appointed city office or city employment until one
year following the date on which that member's service on the school
committee terminated. This section shall not prevent a city officer
or other city employee who has vacated a position in order to serve
as a member of the school committee from returning to the same office
or other position of city employment held at the time the position
was vacated; provided, however, that no such person shall be eligible
for any other municipal position until at least one year following
the termination of service as a member of the school committee.
The city council may, by ordinance, establish the compensation
for the elected members of the school committee. No ordinance increasing
or reducing the compensation of elected members of the school committee
shall be effective unless it has been adopted by a two-thirds vote
of the full city council. No ordinance increasing or reducing the
compensation of the elected members of the school committee shall
be effective unless it has been adopted during the first 18 months
of the term for which elected school committee members are elected
and unless it provides that the compensation increase or reduction
is to take effect upon the organization of the city government following
the next regular city election.
The school committee shall have all powers which are conferred
on school committees by the General Laws and the additional powers
and duties provided by charter, ordinance or otherwise and not inconsistent
with the General Laws. The powers and duties of the school committee
shall include:
(a) Selecting and removing a superintendent of the schools who shall
be charged with the administration of the school system, subject only
to policy guidelines and directives adopted by the school committee
and, upon the recommendation of the superintendent, to establish and
appoint assistant or associate superintendents as authorized by the
General Laws;
(b) Making all reasonable rules and regulations for the management of
the public school system and for conducting the business of the school
committee as deemed necessary or desirable; and
(c) Adopting and overseeing the administration of an annual operating
budget for the school department, subject to appropriation by the
city council; provided, however, that the school committee shall have
general charge and superintendence of all school buildings and grounds
and shall furnish all school buildings with proper fixtures, furniture
and equipment; provided further, that the school committee shall provide
ordinary maintenance of all school buildings and grounds, unless a
central municipal maintenance department, which may include maintenance
of school buildings and grounds, is established; provided further,
that whenever the school committee shall determine that additional
classrooms are necessary to meet the educational needs of the community,
at least one member of the school committee, or a designee of the
school committee, shall serve on the agency, board or committee for
the planning or construction of the new, remodeled or renovated school
building.
Whenever a vacancy occurs on the school committee, the president
of the city council shall, within 30 days following the date of the
vacancy, call a joint meeting of the city council and the school committee
to fill the vacancy. The city council and school committee shall choose
a person to fill the vacancy from among the voters entitled to vote
for the office. Persons elected to fill a vacancy by the city council
and school committee shall serve only until the next regular city
election, when the office shall be filled by the voters. The candidate
elected to an office filled by appointment prior to the election shall
be sworn to the office immediately to complete the then unexpired
term in addition to the term for which elected. No vacancy shall be
filled under this section if a regular city election is to be held
within 120 days following the date the vacancy is declared to exist.
Persons serving as school committee members under this section shall
not be entitled to have the words "candidate for reelection" printed
with that person's name on the election ballot.