(a)
Composition; term of office - There shall be a School Committee which
shall consist of seven members. Six of these members shall be nominated
and elected by and from the voters of the Town at large. The Mayor
shall serve, by virtue of office, as the seventh member of the School
Committee with all of the same powers and duties as the members elected
by the voters as School Committee members.
(b)
Term of office - The term of office for the six persons elected by
the voters as School Committee members shall be for two years each,
beginning on the first business day of January in the year following
their election, and until their successors have been qualified.
(a)
Election and term - As soon as practicable after the School Committee members-elect have been qualified following each biennial Town election, as provided in Section 8-8, the School Committee shall organize by electing one of the persons elected to the office of School Committee member, or the Mayor, to serve as School Committee Chair and one of the persons elected to the office of School Committee member, or the Mayor, to serve as School Committee Vice Chair until the next Town election.
(b)
Powers and duties - The School Committee Chair shall preside at all
meetings of the School Committee, regulate its proceedings and shall
decide all questions of order. The School Committee Chair shall appoint
all members of all committees of the School Committee, whether special
or standing. The School Committee Chair shall have the same powers
to vote upon all measures coming before the School Committee as any
other member of the School Committee. The School Committee Chair shall
perform such other duties consistent with the office as may be provide
by Charter, by ordinance or by other vote of the School Committee.
(c)
Vice-Chair - The Vice Chair of the School Committee shall serve as
acting chair during the temporary absence or disability of the School
Committee Chair during the ensuing term of office. The powers of an
acting School Committee Chair shall be limited to only those powers
of the chair as may be necessary to the conduct of the business of
the School Committee in an orderly and efficient manner and which
may not be delayed.
No person elected as a School Committee member shall hold any
other Town office or Town employment for which a salary or other emolument
is payable from the Town treasury. No former member of the School
Committee shall hold any compensated appointed Town office or Town
employment until one year following the date on which such member's
service on the School Committee has terminated. This provision shall
not prevent a Town officer or other Town employee who has taken a
leave of absence in order to serve as a member of the School Committee
from returning to the same office or other position of Town employment
held at the time such leave of absence commenced; provided, however,
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.
(a)
Salary - The members of the School Committee shall receive such salary
for their services as may from time to time be set by ordinance. No
ordinance increasing the salary of School Committee members shall
be effective unless it shall have been adopted during the first 12
months of the term for which School Committee members are elected
and it provides that such salary is to take effect upon the organization
of the Town government following the next municipal election.
(b)
Expenses - Subject to appropriation and to prior authorization, the
School Committee members shall be entitled to reimbursement of their
actual and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their
duties.
The School Committee shall have all powers which are conferred
on school committees by general laws and such additional powers and
duties as may be provided by the Charter, by ordinance, or otherwise
and not inconsistent with said grant of powers conferred by general
laws. The powers and duties of the School Committee shall include
the following:
1.
To elect a Superintendent of the Schools who shall be charged with
the day-to-day administration of the school system, subject only to
policy guidelines and directives adopted by the School Committee and,
upon the recommendation of said Superintendent, to establish and appoint
assistant or associate superintendents as provided in Section 59 of
Chapter 71 of the General Laws;
2.
To make all reasonable rules and regulations for the management of
the public school system and for conducting the business of the School
Committee as may be deemed necessary or desirable;
3.
To adopt and to oversee the administration of an annual operating
budget for the School Department, subject to appropriation by the
Town Council.
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. The School Committee
shall provide ordinary maintenance of all school buildings and grounds;
provided, however, the Town Council may, by ordinance, provide for
the establishment of a central municipal maintenance department which
may include maintenance of school buildings and grounds. 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 to which the planning
or construction of such new, remodeled or renovated school building
is delegated.
(a)
Runner-Up to Succeed to Office -
[Amended 11-3-2015]
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If a vacancy shall occur in the office of School Committee member
before the last six months of the term for which School Committee
members are elected the vacancy shall be filled in descending order
of votes received by the candidate for the office of School Committee
member at the preceding Town election who received the largest number
of votes without being elected, provided such person remains eligible
and willing to serve and provided such person received votes at least
equal to 30% of the vote total received by the person receiving the
largest number of votes for the office of School Committee member
at the said election. The Town Clerk shall certify such candidate
to the office of School Committee member to serve for the balance
of the then unexpired term.
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If a vacancy shall occur in the office of School Committee member
during the last six months of the term for which School Committee
members are elected, such vacancy shall be filled by the person at
the next biennial Town election who receives the highest number of
votes for the office of School Committee member and who is not then
serving as a member of the School Committee. Such person shall forthwith
be certified and shall serve for the last two months of the concluding
term in addition to the term for which such person was elected.
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(b)
Filling of vacancies by School Committee - Whenever a vacancy shall occur in the office of School Committee member and there is no available candidate to fill such vacancy in the manner provided in Section 4-6(a), the vacancy shall be filled by the remaining members of the School Committee. Persons elected to fill a vacancy by the School Committee shall serve only until the next regular election, at which time the vacancy shall be filled by the voters and the person chosen to fill such vacancy shall forthwith be sworn and shall serve for the remainder of the unexpired term in addition to the term for which elected. Persons serving as School Committee members under this section shall not be entitled to have the words "candidate for re-election" printed against their names on the election ballot.
