City of Beverly, MA School Committee

<[Subsection (a) effective until 11-4-2025. For text effective 11-4-2025, see below.]>

Composition; term of office - There shall be a school committee, which shall consist of 7 members. Six of these members, to be known as "ward school committee members," shall be nominated and elected by and from the voters of each ward, 1 such ward school committee member to be elected from each of the 6 wards into which the city is divided, in accordance with section 7-5. The mayor shall serve as the seventh member of the school committee. The term of office for all school committee members shall be for 2 years each, beginning on the first Monday of January in the year following their election, and until their successors have been qualified.

<[Subsection (a) as amended by Ch. 48 of the Acts of 2023 (Section 9), approved 11-7-2023, effective 11-4-2025. For text effective until 11-4-2025, see above.]>

(a)

Composition; term of office - There shall be a school committee which shall consist of 9 members. Six of these members, to be known as "ward school committee members," shall be nominated and elected by and from the voters of each ward, 1 such ward school committee member to be elected from each of the 6 wards into which the city is divided, in accordance with section 7-5. Two members shall be elected from districts composed as follows: District A shall be composed of wards 1, 2 and 3 and District B shall be composed of wards 4, 5 and 6. The mayor shall serve as the ninth member of the school committee. The term of office for all school committee members shall be for 2 years each, beginning on the first Monday of January in the year following their election, and until their successors have been qualified.

(b)

Eligibility - A ward school committee member shall at the time of election be a voter of the ward from which elected; provided, however, that if any ward school committee member shall, during the first 18 months of the term of office, remove to another ward in the city, the member may continue to serve for the balance of the term to which elected. If a district school committee member shall during the first 18 months of the term of office remove to a ward of the city not in the district from which the member is elected, such district member may continue to serve for the balance of the term to which elected. If a ward or district school committee member removes from the city during the term for which elected, such office shall immediately be deemed vacant and filled in the manner provided in section 4-1(f).

[Amended by Ch. 48 of the Acts of 2023 (Section 10), approved 11-7-2023]

(c)

Powers and 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 this 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:

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;

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 the general laws so provide;

To adopt and administer an annual operating budget for the school department, subject to appropriation by the city council.

To have general charge and superintendence of all school buildings and grounds, furnish all school buildings with proper fixtures, furniture and equipment and provide ordinary maintenance of all school buildings and grounds; provided, however, that the city council may, by ordinance, provide for the establishment of a central municipal maintenance department which may include maintenance of school buildings and grounds. 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 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.

(d)

Prohibitions - 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 1 year following the date on which such member's service on the school committee has terminated.

(e)

Salary - The city council may, by ordinance, provide an annual salary for the members of the school committee. No ordinance increasing such salary shall be effective unless it shall have been adopted during the first 12 months of a term of office and it provides that such salary is to take effect with the organization of the city government following the next regular municipal election.

(f)

Filling of vacancies - If a vacancy shall occur in the office of ward school committee member or district school committee member during the first 18 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 ward or district school committee member from such ward or district at the preceding regular municipal election who received the largest number of votes without being elected; provided, however, that such person remains eligible and willing to serve and provided such person received votes at least equal to 30 per cent of the vote total received by the person receiving the largest number of votes for the office of ward or district school committee member in such ward or district. If there be no such candidate eligible and willing to serve, the vacancy shall be filled by a majority vote of the remaining members of the school committee and the city council sitting in joint convention, from among the voters of such ward or district. If the vacancy shall occur during the last 6 months of the term of office, such vacancy shall be filled by the person at the regular municipal election who receives the highest number of votes for the office of ward school committee member from such ward or district. Such person shall forthwith be certified and shall serve for the balance of the concluding term in addition to the term for which such person was elected. The city clerk shall certify such candidate to the office of ward or district school committee member to serve for the balance of then concluding term as well as the term to which elected.

[Amended by Ch. 48 of the Acts of 2023 (Section 11), approved 11-7-2023]

<[Subsection (a) as amended by Ch. 48 of the Acts of 2023 (Section 12), approved 11-7-2023, effective 1-5-2026. For text effective until 1-5-2026, see above.]>
(a)	Election and term - The school committee shall organize by electing 1 of the ward or district school committee members to serve as school committee president during the ensuing term of office.