(a)
Composition, term of office — There shall be a school committee
which shall consist of 7 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 6 school committee
members elected by the voters shall be for 4 years each, beginning
on the first business day of January in the year following their election,
and until their successors have been qualified. The terms of office
shall be so arranged that 3 terms shall be filled at each regular
town election.
(a)
Election and term — As soon as practicable after the school committee members-elect have been qualified following each regular town election, under section 8-10, 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 and 1 of the persons elected to the office of school committee member to serve as school committee vice-chair until the next regular 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 provided by charter, by ordinance or by other vote
of the school committee.
No member of the school committee shall hold any school department
office for which a salary or other emolument is payable from the town
treasury. No former member of the school committee shall hold any
compensated school department office until 1 year after the date on
which the member's service on the school committee has terminated.
(a)
Salary — The members of the school committee shall not receive
a salary for their services.
(b)
Expenses — Subject to appropriation and to prior authorization
by the school committee, 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 any additional powers and
duties that may be provided by the charter, by ordinance, or otherwise
and are not inconsistent with the grant of powers conferred by general
laws. The powers and duties of the school committee shall include
the following:
1)
To appoint 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 the 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 considered 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,
but the town council may, by ordinance, provide for the establishment
of a central municipal maintenance department which may, subject to
the approval of the school committee, 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 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 the 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 regular town election
who received the largest number of votes without being elected, if
that person remains eligible and willing to serve and if that person
received votes equal to at least 60 per cent of the vote total received
by the person receiving the largest number of votes for the office
of school committee member at that election. The town clerk shall
certify this candidate to the office of school committee member to
serve for the balance of the then unexpired term, but, if the vacancy
occurs during the first 18 months of the term for which school committee
members are elected, the person so chosen shall serve only until the
next regular town election at which election the remainder of the
term shall be filled by the voters. Persons serving as school committee
members, not elected by the voters, shall not be entitled to have
the words "candidate for reelection" printed against their names on
the ensuing election ballot.
If a vacancy shall occur in the office of school committee member
during the last 6 months of the term, the vacancy shall be filled
by the person at the regular 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. That person
shall immediately be certified and shall serve for the last 2 months
of the concluding term in addition to the term for which that person
was elected.
(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 the vacancy in the manner provided in section 4-6(a), the vacancy shall be filled by the remaining members of the school committee. Persons appointed to fill a vacancy by the school committee shall serve only until the next regular town election at which time the vacancy shall be filled by the voters and the person elected 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 elected. Persons serving as school committee members, not elected by the voters, shall not be entitled to have the words "candidate for reelection" printed against their names on the ensuing election ballot.