(a)
Composition; term of office - There shall be a School Committee which shall consist of seven 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, one such ward School Committee member to be elected from each of the six 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 two 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, if any ward School Committee member shall, during the first 18 months of the term of office, remove to another ward in the City, such office shall be deemed vacant and the balance of the unexpired term shall be filled in the manner provided in Section 4-1(f). If such removal occurs after the first 18 months of the term of office, such School Committee member may continue to serve for the balance of the term for which elected. If a ward 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).
(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 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;
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 administer an annual operating budget for the School
Department, subject to appropriation by the City Council.
|
The School Committee shall have general charge and superintendence
of all school buildings and grounds, shall furnish all school buildings
with proper fixtures, furniture and equipment and shall provide ordinary
maintenance of all school buildings and grounds; provided, however,
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. 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 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 one 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, however, 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 biennial election.
(f)
Filling of vacancies - If a vacancy shall occur in the office of
ward School Committee member during the first 20 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 School Committee member from that ward at the preceding
City 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 ward School Committee member in that ward.
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 the ward. If the vacancy shall occur during
the last four months of the term of office, such vacancy shall be
filled by the person at the biennial City election who receives the
highest number of votes for the office of ward School Committee member
from that ward. 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. The City Clerk shall certify
such candidate to the office of ward School Committee member to serve
for the balance of the then unexpired term.
(a)
Election and term - The School Committee shall organize by electing
one of the ward School Committee members to serve as School Committee
President during the ensuing term of office.
(b)
Powers and duties - The School Committee President shall preside
at all meetings of the School Committee, regulate its proceedings
and shall decide all questions of order. The School Committee President
shall appoint all members of all committees of the School Committee,
whether special or standing. The School Committee President 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 President 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.
The Mayor and City Council shall annually provide an amount
of money sufficient for the support of the public schools as required
by the General Laws. In acting on appropriations for educational costs,
the City Council shall vote on the total amount of appropriations
requested, and shall not allocate appropriations among accounts or
place any restrictions on such appropriations. The City Council may
make nonbinding monetary recommendations to increase or decrease certain
items allocating such appropriations. The vote of the City Council
shall establish the total appropriation for the support of the schools,
but may not limit the authority of the School Committee to determine
expenditures within the total appropriations.
