The regular election of school committee members is to be held each year in the manner provided in Article
X. Each member is elected for a term of 3 years and serves until the member's successor is elected and qualified. In case any candidates receive an equal number of votes, their relative positions are determined by lot.
School committee members are each entitled to receive $20.00
per regular and/or special meeting attended as compensation for their
services and the committee may provide in its budget for actual and
necessary expenses. Such compensation may be changed by ordinance
but no ordinance increasing the compensation becomes effective until
the date of commencement of the terms of school committee members
elected at the next regular election, provided that such election
follows the adoption of such ordinance by at least 6 months.
The school committee has all the powers conferred by law and
must perform all the duties imposed by law upon school committees
in regard to the care and management of the public schools of the
town.
The school committee must provide for the method of preparing
and submitting the annual school budget in detail to the town manager
at least 90 days before the beginning of the fiscal year. It must
also submit a complete list of estimated receipts not less than 50
days before the beginning of the fiscal year. As an exception to this
rule submission of estimated receipts may be deferred to a later date
which may have been mandated for that year by the state legislature
or the state board of education.
At the next regular meeting following the day of election, or
as soon thereafter as practicable, all committee members-elect are
to be sworn to the faithful discharge of their duties by the town
clerk or by any other person authorized to administer an oath.
The school committee is the judge of the election and qualifications of its members and of the grounds for forfeiture of their office as set forth in §
4.10, subsection
2, and for that purpose has the power to subpoena witnesses as provided in §
12.03, administer oaths and require the production of evidence. A school committee member charged with conduct constituting grounds for forfeiture of office is entitled to a public hearing on demand, and notice of such hearing must be published in one or more newspapers of general circulation in the town at least one week in advance of the hearing. Decisions made by the school committee under this section are subject to review by the Superior Court.
Except where authorized by law, no school committee member may
hold any other office or employment with the school department or
in a town department during the term for which the member was elected
to the school committee, and no former school committee member may
hold any compensated appointive town or school office or employment
until one year after the expiration of the term for which the member
was elected to the school committee.