(a)
Composition. There shall be a school committee that shall consist
of 7 members. Six members shall be nominated and elected by and from
the voters of the city at large. The mayor shall serve as the seventh
member of the school committee by virtue of office and shall have
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 6 school committee members
elected by the voters shall be for 4 years beginning on the first
Monday after the first Tuesday in January in the year following their
election and until their successors have been qualified. The terms
of office shall be arranged so that 3 such terms are to be filled
at each biennial election.
(a)
Election and Term. Following each biennial city election and as soon as practicable after the school committee members-elect have been qualified as provided in section 9-10, the school committee shall organize by electing 1 of the persons elected to the office of school committee member to serve as school committee chair.
(b)
Powers and Duties. The school committee chair or a designee shall
preside at all meetings of the school committee, regulate its proceedings
and 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 provided by this charter or by vote of the school committee
in accordance with the by-laws and policies of the school committee.
No member of the school committee shall hold any other city
office or city employment for which a salary or other emolument is
payable from the city treasury. No former member of the school committee
shall hold any compensated appointed city office or city employment
until at least 1 year after the date on which the member's service
on the school committee has terminated; provided, however, that a
city officer or other city employee who has vacated a position in
order to serve as a member of the school committee may return to the
same office or position of city employment held at the time the position
was vacated but shall not be eligible for any other municipal position
until at least 1 year after the termination of service as a member
of the school committee.
The city council may by ordinance establish an annual salary
for members of the school committee. No vote increasing the salary
of school committee members shall be effective unless it shall have
been adopted during the first 18 months of the term for which the
school committee members were elected and unless it provides that
the salary is to take effect upon the organization of the city government
following the next municipal election. Notwithstanding any general
or special law to the contrary, members elected to the school committee
shall not be eligible to participate in the city's group health
or life insurance programs.
The school committee shall have all of the powers conferred
on school committees by the General Laws and such additional powers
and duties as may be provided by this charter, by ordinance or otherwise
and not inconsistent with the grant of powers conferred by the General
Laws. The powers and duties of the school committee shall include,
but not be limited to:
(i)
electing 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;
(ii)
upon the recommendation of the superintendent, establishing and appointing
assistant or associate superintendents as provided in section 59 of
chapter 71 of the General Laws;
(iii)
making 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; and
(iv)
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.
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 in accordance with law. If the school committee
shall determine that additional classrooms are necessary to meet the
educational needs of the community, at least 1 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. If a vacancy shall occur in the office
of school committee member, the vacancy shall be filled, in descending
order of votes received, by the candidate for the office of school
committee member at the preceding city election who received the highest
number of votes without being elected if such person remains eligible
and willing to serve as a school committee member. The city clerk
shall certify this candidate to the office of school committee to
serve for the balance of the then unexpired term.
(b)
Filling of Vacancies By School Committee. If a vacancy shall occur in the office of school committee member and there is no available candidate to fill the vacancy in the manner provided in subsection (a), the vacancy shall be filled by a majority vote of the remaining members of the school committee. A person 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 the vacancy shall immediately be sworn and shall serve for the remainder of the unexpired term in addition to the term for which the person is elected. A person serving as a school committee member under this section shall not be entitled to have the words "candidate for re-election" printed against the person's name on the election ballot.
