The School Committee is responsible to the people for whose benefit the school system has been established. The Committee's current decisions will influence the course of education in our schools for years to come. The Committee and each of its members must look to the future and to the needs of all people more than the average citizen finds necessary. This requires a comprehensive perspective and long-range planning in addition to attention to immediate problems.

The School Committee's primary responsibility is to establish those purposes, programs, and procedures that will best produce the educational achievement needed by our students. The Committee is charged with accomplishing this while also being responsible for wise management of resources available to the school system. The Committee must fulfill these responsibilities by functioning primarily as a legislative body to formulate and adopt policy, by selecting an executive officer to implement policy, and by evaluating the results. It must carry out its functions openly, while seeking the comments of public, students, and staff in its decision-making processes.

In accordance with these principles, the methodology will involve:

1. Periodically setting performance objectives for the School Committee itself and evaluating their accomplishment.
2. Setting objectives for performance for each position and function in the system.
3. Allowing the people responsible for carrying out objectives to have a role in setting them.
4. Establish measurable goals.
5. Conducting a periodic review of performance against these goals.

Cross references:

ADA, School District Goals and Objectives

Adopted: March 27, 2013

Revised:

The agreement between the Towns of Chatham and Harwich with respect to the formation of a regional school district creates a Regional District School Committee (Monomoy Regional School Committee) that will consist of eight (8) members, four (4) of whom reside in Chatham and four (4) of whom reside in Harwich.

The powers and duties of the regional school district shall be vested in and exercised by the Regional School Committee, hereinafter referred to as the Committee. Except as provided herein and in subsection I-A of the Regional Agreement, the Committee shall consist of eight (8) members, four (4) of whom reside in Chatham and four (4) of whom reside in Harwich. Members shall serve until their respective successors are elected and qualified. To meet the requirement of proportional representation respective to the population of each member town, each member from the Town of Harwich will have one (1) vote for a total of four (4) votes while each member from the Town of Chatham will have 50% vote for a total of two (2) votes, for a total of six (6) votes.

Established by law and Regional Agreement

Legal references:

M.G.L. 71:14b; 71 16A

Regional School District Agreement

Cross references:

AA, School District Legal Status

BBA, School Committee Powers and Duties

Adopted: March 27, 2013

Revised:

The School Committee has all the powers conferred upon it by state law and must perform those duties mandated by the state. These include the responsibility and right to determine policies and practices and to employ a staff to implement its directions for the proper education of the children of the community. 

The Committee takes a broad view of its functions. It sees them as:

• Legislative or policymaking. The Committee is responsible for the development of policy as guides for administrative action and for employing a Superintendent who will implement its policies.
• Appraisal. The Committee is responsible for evaluating the effectiveness of its policies and their implementation.
• Provision of financial resources. The Committee is responsible for adoption of a budget that will enable the school system to carry out the Committee's policies.
• Public relations. The Committee is responsible for providing adequate and direct means for keeping the local citizenry informed about the schools and for keeping itself and the school staff informed about the needs and wishes of the public.
• Educational planning and evaluation. The Committee is responsible for establishing educational goals and policies that will guide the Committee.

Legal references:

M.G.L. 71:37 specifically, but powers and duties of School Committees are established throughout the Massachusetts General Laws.

Cross references:

BB, School Committee Legal Status

Adopted: March 27, 2013

Revised:

Authority

Because all powers of the School Committee derived from state laws are granted in terms of action as a group, members of the School Committee have authority only when acting as a Committee legally in session.

The School Committee will not be bound in any way by any statement or action on the part of an individual member except when such statement or action is a result of specific instructions of the Committee.

No member of the Committee, by virtue of his/her office, will exercise any administrative responsibility with respect to the schools or command the services of any school employee.

The School Committee will function as a body and all policy decisions and other matters, as required by law, will be settled by an official vote of the Committee sitting in formal session.

Duties

The duties and obligations of the individual Committee member may be enumerated, in no particular order, as follows:

1. To become familiar with the General Laws of the Commonwealth relating to education and school committee operations, regulations of the Massachusetts Board of Education, policies and procedures of this school committee and school department.
2. To keep abreast of new laws and the latest trends in education.
3. To have a general knowledge of the goals, objectives, and programs of the town's public schools.
4. To work effectively with other Committee members without trying either to dominate the Committee or neglect his/her share of the work.
5. To respect the privileged communication that exists in executive sessions by maintaining strict confidentiality on matters discussed in these sessions, except that which becomes part of the public record, once it has been approved for release.
6. To vote and act in Committee impartially for the good of the students.
7. To accept the will of the majority vote in all cases, and to remember that he/she is one of a team and must abide by, and carry out, all Committee decisions once they are made.
8. To represent the Committee and the schools to the public in a way that promotes interest and support.
9. To refer questions and complaints to the proper school authorities.
10. To comply with the accepted code of ethics for School Committee members.

Legal references:

M.G.L. 71:16A
Regional Agreement

Adopted: March 27, 2013

Revised:

The agreement between the Towns of Chatham and Harwich with respect to the formation of a regional school district creates a Regional District School Committee (Monomoy Regional School Committee) that will consist of eight (8) members, four (4) of whom reside in Chatham and four(4) of whom reside in Harwich.

Adopted: March 27, 2013

Revised:

In order to serve on the School Committee, an individual must be a registered voter in the town from which he/she is elected or appointed and must take an oath of office as required by law. 

Each new member will present to the Committee secretary official certification of having sworn the oath before an officer duly qualified to administer oaths prior to entering on his/her official duties as a member of the Committee. From the Town Clerk, newly qualified Committee members, by law, receive, and sign a receipt for, a copy of the Massachusetts open meeting law governing the conduct of Committee meetings in general and executive sessions in particular.

Membership on a School Committee is not limited to race, color, sex, religion, age, national origin, or sexual orientation.

Established by law

Legal references:

M.G.L. 39:23B; 41:1; 41:107

M.G.L. 76:5 Amended 1993

Regional Agreement

Adopted: March 27, 2013

Revised:

If a School Committee member wishes to resign from the Committee prior to the expiration of that individual's term of office, said resignation must be filed with the Town Clerk in the Town he/she represents in written form with a copy to the School Committee. Once a School Committee member
submits a letter of resignation to the Town Clerk of the Town he/she represents, said individual's duties as a Committee member are terminated, unless a specific date has been stated in the notification for that resignation to take effect.

A school committee term of office shall be deemed vacated should an existing member move out of the Town of Chatham or Harwich prior to the expiration of that term. 

Established by law

Legal references:

M.G.L. 41:2; 41:109

Adopted: March 27, 2013

Revised:

Any vacancy occurring on the Regional District School Committee for any cause shall be filled by the local Board of Selectman and the remaining Regional District School Committee members from the town where the vacancy occurs in accordance with Section I (F) of the Regional Agreement.

Legal references:

Regional Agreement Section I(F)

Adopted: March 27, 2013

Revised:

The acceptance of a Code of Ethics implies the understanding of the basic organization of school committees under the Laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. The Oath of Office of a School Committee member binds that individual member to adherence to those State Laws which apply to school committees, which are recognized as agencies of the State.

This Code of Ethics delineates three areas of responsibility for School Committee members, in addition to those implied above. Each School Committee member, by nature of the elected office, is responsible to: the Communities of Chatham and Harwich; the School Administration; and fellow Committee members.

In regard to the Communities of Chatham and Harwich, each School Committee member should:

• realize the School Committee's primary responsibility is to the children who attend Monomoy Regional School District;
• recognize the basic function of the School Committee is as a policy making body;
• remember to abide by and carry out all Committee decisions once they are made;
• be well informed regarding the duties of a Committee Member on both a local and State level;
• remember to represent the entire community at all times; and
• accept the office of a Committee member as a means of unselfish service without intent to "play politics," or to benefit personally from Committee activities.

In individual interactions with the school district's administration, each School Committee member should:

• give the Superintendent of Schools full responsibility to carry out the professional duties of the position, and hold the Superintendent responsible for acceptable results;
• endeavor to establish sound, clearly defined policies which will direct and support the Administration;
• recognize and support the administrative chain of command; and refer all complaints to the proper administrative staff for solution,
• with the School Committee acting as the source of last appeal in the process, if necessary.

In regard to a good working relationship with fellow School Committee members, each member should:

• recognize that action at official meetings is binding and that the member alone cannot bind the Committee outside of such meetings;
• realize that one should not make statements or promises of action on how one will vote on matters that will come before the Committee;
• uphold the intent of Executive Session and respect the privileged communications that exist in Executive Session;
• not withhold pertinent information on school matters or personnel problems, either from members of the School Committee or from member of committees who may be seeking help or information on school issues; and
• make decisions only after all of the facts on a question have been presented and discussed.

Adopted: March 27, 2013

Revised:

A Committee member shall not have any direct or indirect financial interest in a contract with the school system, nor shall he/she furnish directly any labor, equipment, or supplies to the system. All elected and appointed School Committee members are subject to Massachusetts Conflict of Interest Law, Chapter 268 A of the Mass. General Laws. Each Committee member will complete the online ethics training provided by the State Ethics Commission, and submit a copy of the certificate of completion to their respective Town Clerk.

In the event a Committee member is employed by a corporation or business or has a secondary interest in a corporation or business which furnishes goods or services to the school system, the Committee member shall declare his/her secondary interest and refrain from debating or voting upon the question of contracting with the company.

It is not the intent of this policy to prevent the system from contracting with corporations or businesses because a Committee member is an employee of the firm. The policy is designed to prevent placing a Committee member in a position where his/her interest in the public schools and his/her interest in his/her place of employment (or other indirect interest) might conflict and to avoid appearances of conflict of interest even though such conflict may not exist.

Legal references:

M.G.L. 268A

Adopted: March 27, 2013

Revised:

The Monomoy Regional School Committee shall annually elect officers at the first regularly scheduled meeting held after the last of the elections in the member towns. Such officers shall exercise the powers expressed and implied in G.L. Chapter 71, section 16A.

A Chairperson and a Vice-Chairperson shall be elected from among the Committee's membership. The Committee will have as standard practice that the position of Chairperson will rotate annually between the member towns. For example, in the first year that the District is in existence, the Chairperson will be elected without regard to where he/she resides. In year two, however, the Chairperson shall be elected from members who reside in the other town. This rotation sequence will then be maintained in future years. By a two-thirds (2/3) vote, and with at least one Committee member from each of the member towns voting in the affirmative, the Committee may in any given year deviate from this standard
practice. The Vice-Chairperson in any given year shall be drawn from the members who reside in the member town different from that of the Chairperson.

The School Committee shall elect a Secretary who may or may not be a member of the School Committee's membership.

The School Committee shall appoint a Treasurer who shall not be a member of the School Committee.

Legal references:

Regional Agreement Section III (C, D, E, and F)

Adopted: March 27, 2013

Revised:

The Committee supports and encourages the intent and purpose of Chapter 71 of the Acts of 1993, Section 59C, which requires the establishment of school councils at all public and independent vocational schools in the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. This policy is designed to implement the provisions of Chapter 71, Section 59C.

The Committee believes the school is the key unit for educational improvement and change and that successful school improvement is best accomplished through a school based decision making process.

Decisions which are made at the school level must be aligned with the budget, policies, curriculum and long range and short range goals adopted by the Committee. The Committee believes that parents, teachers, community members and, at the high school level at least one student representative, working collaboratively to advise the Principal of each school will enhance the school, home and community partnership and the education of the students who attend the Monomoy Regional School District.

Each school council shall meet regularly with the Principal of its respective school in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 71, Section 59C and the by-laws of the council. Each school council shall assist and advise the Principal in the adoption of educational goals for the school; in the identification of the educational needs of the students attending the school; in the review of the annual school budget; and in the formulation of a school improvement plan in accordance "with the provisions of the law.

Each council shall consist of the Principal, who shall act as one of the co-chairs of the council; parents of students attending the school; teachers from that particular school; and other persons from the community who are not parents or teachers of students at the school; and, at the high school level at least one student representative. The overall size of the council is determined by the Principal provided, however, that not more than fifty percent of the council shall be non-school members and the parents shall have parity with professional personnel on the school councils. Each school council shall convene its first meeting no later than forty days after the first day of school in accordance with the provisions of the law.

Eligibility for school council membership and the length of term shall be determined in accordance with the provisions of Chapter 71, Section 59C and the by-laws of each council. All meetings of the school council shall comply with the Open Meeting Law and the provisions of the council's by-laws. The Superintendent shall receive agendas and minutes of all school council meetings and provide copies of the same to the Committee

Legal references:

M.G.L. 71:38Q, 71:59C

Adopted: March 27, 2013

Revised:

Duties of the Chairperson

The chairperson of the School Committee has the same powers as any other member of the Committee to vote upon all measures coming before it, to offer resolutions and to discuss questions. He/she will perform those duties that are consistent with his/her office and those required by law, state regulations, and this Committee. In carrying out these responsibilities, the chairperson will: 

• Sign the instruments, acts, and orders necessary to carry out state requirements and the will of the Committee.
• Consult with the Superintendent in the planning of the Committee's agendas.
• Confer with the Superintendent on crucial matters that may occur between Committee meetings.
• Appoint subcommittees, subject to Committee approval.
• Call special meetings of the Committee as found necessary.
• Be public spokesperson for the Committee at all times except as this responsibility is specifically delegated to others.
• Be responsible for the orderly conduct of all Committee meetings.

As presiding officer at all meetings of the Committee, the chairperson will:

• Call the meeting to order at the appointed time.
• Announce the business to come before the Committee in its proper order.
• Enforce the Committee's policies relating to the order of business and the conduct of meetings.
• Recognize persons who desire to speak, and protect the speaker who has the floor from disturbance or interference.
• Explain what the effect of a motion would be if this is not clear to members.
• Restrict discussion to the question when a motion is before the Committee.
• Answer all parliamentary inquiries.
• Put motions to a vote, stating definitely and clearly the vote and result thereof.

Duties of the Vice-Chairperson

The vice-chairperson of the Committee will act in the absence of the chairperson as presiding officer of the Committee and will perform such other duties as may be delegated or assigned to him/her.

Secretary

The Committee shall elect a secretary who may or may not be a member of the Committee's membership. The secretary will keep or cause to be kept an accurate journal of all Committee meetings; will comply with state law and Committee policy regarding notification of meetings; and will render such reports as may be required by the state or the town.

Treasurer

The Committee shall appoint a treasurer who shall not be a member of the Committee. The treasurer shall receive and take charge of all money belonging to the district and shall pay any bill of the district which shall have been approved by the Committee.

Legal references:

M.G.L. 71:36

Adopted: March 27, 2013

Revised:

File BDG

Monomoy Regional School District

School Attorney

 

The complexity of school department operations often requires specialized legal services; the Committee will retain an attorney(s) and/or law firm(s) to provide additional legal services.

 It will be the duty of the counsel(s) for the Committee to advise the Committee and the Superintendent or designee on the specific legal problems submitted to him/her. He/she will attend meetings upon request and will be sufficiently familiar with Committee policies, practices, and actions under these policies, and with requirements of the school law to enable him/her to offer the necessary legal advice.

 A decision to seek legal advice or assistance on behalf of the School Committee and/or school system will be made by the Committee. The Superintendent or designee may also take such action at the direction of the Committee. An exemption will be made for ongoing litigation or legal matters that involves the Chair and/or Committee Member(s) who had prior authorization. The Chair or designated Committee member(s) will keep the Committee and/or Chair appraised of legal matters.

 Many instances of legal assistance of the district may be considered routine or urgent, thus not necessitating specific School Committee approval of prior notice. However, when the Superintendent, Chair or designee, concludes that unusual types or amounts of professional legal service may be required, the School Committee directs the Superintendent, or designee, to so advise it and to expeditiously seek either initial or continuing authorization for such service. The Superintendent or designee will keep the Committee and/or Chair appraised of legal matters.

Legal references:

M.G.L. 71:37E; 71:37F

Adopted: March 27, 2013

Revised: 12/10/2020

The Principal shall, by law, serve as co-chair of the council. The second co-chair will be elected annually by the council members at its first meeting of the school year subsequent to the elections of new council members. The co-chairs will be responsible for the preparation of the agenda for the
council meetings.

The school council shall meet at least once monthly during the school year. Meetings will be held outside of school hours. At its first meeting of the school year, the council will set its calendar of regular meetings for the year. Where circumstances warrant, the council may choose to call additional
meetings. 

School councils shall use consensus as the primary method to resolve issues and to formulate recommendations. Votes by majority may be taken at the discretion of the Principal and Robert’s Rules of Order shall prevail if there are questions of procedure.

All meetings of the school council shall conform to the Open Meeting Law, Chapter 30A, sections 18-22 which stipulate that all meetings be open to the public, that meetings be posted at least 48 hours in advance, and that minutes of the meeting shall be maintained as required. The scope of the school council does not require, and therefore does not qualify for, executive session. 

The Superintendent shall receive agendas and minutes of all school council meetings. The Superintendent shall provide copies of these materials to members of the Committee for information.

Cross references:

BDFA, School Councils

Adopted: March 27, 2013

Revised:

:

The Committee will leave to the Superintendent all matters of decision and administration that come within his/her scope as executive officer or as professional leader of the school system. While the Committee reserves to itself the ultimate decision of all matters concerning general policy or
expenditures of funds, it will normally proceed in these areas after receiving recommendations from its executive officer. Further:

1. The Superintendent will have the privilege of asking guidance from the Committee with respect to matters of operation whenever appropriate. If it is necessary to make exceptions to an established policy, he/she will submit the matter to the Committee for advice and direction.
2. The Superintendent will assist the Committee in reaching sound judgments and establishing policies, and will place before the Committee all relevant facts, information, and reports necessary to keep the Committee adequately informed of situations or business at hand.

Adopted: March 27, 2013

Revised:

The Committee shall appoint members to subcommittees at their annual organizational meeting for a period of one year. These subcommittees may be created for a specific purpose and to make recommendations for Committee action.

1. The subcommittee will be established through action of the Committee.

2. The Committee chairperson, subject to approval by the Committee, will appoint the subcommittee chairperson and its members.

3. The subcommittee will be provided with a list of its functions and duties.

4. The subcommittee may make recommendations for Committee action, but it may not act for the School Committee.

5. All subcommittees of the Committee are subject to the provisions of the Open Meeting Law.

Legal references:

M.G.L. 30A:18-25

Cross references:

BEC, Executive Sessions

Adopted: March 27, 2013

Revised:

The following general policies will govern the appointment and functioning of advisory committees to the School Committee other than the student advisory committee, which is governed by the terms of the Massachusetts General Laws.

1. Advisory committees may be created by the Committee to serve as task forces for special purposes or to provide continuing consultation in a particular area of activity. However, there will be no standing overall advisory committee to the Committee.
2. If an advisory committee is required by state or federal law, its composition and appointment will meet all the guidelines established for that particular type of committee.
3. The composition of task forces and any other advisory committees will be broadly representative and take into consideration the specific tasks assigned to the committee. Members of the professional staff may be appointed to the committee as members or consultants, as found desirable.
4. Appointments to such committees will be made by the Committee; appointment of staff members to such committees will be made by the Committee upon recommendation of the Superintendent.
5. Tenure of committee members will be one year only unless the member is reappointed.
6. Each committee will be clearly instructed as to:
   1. The length of time each member is being asked to serve.
   2. The assignment the Committee wishes the committee to fulfill and the extent and limitations of its responsibilities.
   3. The resources the Committee will provide.
   4. The approximate dates on which the Committee wishes to receive major reports.
   5. School Committee policies governing citizens, committees and the relationship of these committees to the Committee as a whole, individual Committee members, the Superintendent, and other members of the professional staff.
   6. Responsibilities for the release of information to the press.
7. Recommendations of committees will be based upon research and fact.
8. The Committee possesses certain legal powers and prerogatives that cannot be delegated or surrendered to others. Therefore, all recommendations of an advisory committee must be submitted to the Committee.

The Committee will have the sole power to dissolve any of its advisory committees and will reserve the right to exercise this power at any time during the life of any committee.

Cross references:

JIB, Student Involvement in Decision-making

Adopted: March 27, 2013

Revised:

The written school improvement plan shall be submitted by the Principal to the Superintendent and the Committee by September 1st for review and approval.

Because the implementation of the plan is dependent on Committee approval, it is important that the school council be aware of certain expectations of the Committee regarding the school improvement plan. The school improvement plan should:

1. Focus on improvement of student learning and/or learning environment.
2. Specify expected student outcomes and measurable/observable results.
3. Align with the mission of the District and any goals and policies of the District.
4. Be consistent with state and federal law, District policy, established curriculum and negotiated agreements.
5. Clearly identify actions to be taken on how changes will be implemented.
6. Include a plan on how to solicit community support for the changes being developed.
7. Indicate anticipated costs and available funding sources.
8. Delineate the method of evaluating and reporting progress and results.

If the school improvement plan is not approved by the Superintendent and Committee, it shall be returned to the Principal with specific comments as to the reason(s). The Principal shall revise the plan in cooperation with the school council, and resubmit it for approval. If the Committee does not review the school improvement plan within 30 days of its receipt by the Committee, the plan shall be deemed to have been approved.

Adopted: March 27, 2013

Revised:

File BE

Monomoy Regional School District

School Committee Meetings 

 

GENERAL OVERVIEW

 The School Committee will transact all business at official meetings of the Committee. These may be either regular or special meetings, defined as follows:

1. Regular meeting: the usual official legal action meeting, held regularly
2. Special meeting: an official legal action meeting called between scheduled regular meetings to consider specific topics.

Every meeting of the Committee, regular or special, will be open to the public unless an executive session is held in accordance with state law.

 EXECUTIVE SESSIONS

All meetings of the School Committee are open to attendance by the public and media representatives.  However, the Committee has the right to convene in a closed executive session when it meets the following procedural conditions imposed by state law:

1. The Committee will first convene in an open session for which due notice has been given.
2. The Chair (or, in their absence, the presiding member) will state the purpose for the executive session by stating all subjects that may be revealed without compromising the purpose for which the executive session was called.
3. A majority of the members must vote to enter the executive session, with the vote taken by roll call and recorded in the official minutes.
4. The Chair or presiding member will state before entering the executive session whether the Committee will reconvene in open session after the executive session.

The law puts specific limitations on the purposes for which executive sessions may be convened. The Committee may enter executive sessions only to deliberate:

1. The reputation, character, physical condition or mental health, rather than the professional competence, of a single individual, or the discipline or dismissal, including the hearing of charges against, a member of the committee, a school department employee or student, or other individual. The individual has certain rights enumerated in the law including requiring the Committee to hold an open session should the individual so request.
2. Strategy with respect to non-union negotiations or to conduct collective bargaining sessions with non-union personnel.
3. Strategy with respect to collective bargaining or litigation if an open meeting might have a detrimental effect.  Collective bargaining may also be conducted.
4. The deployment of security personnel or devices.
5. Allegations of criminal misconduct or to discuss the filing of criminal complaints.
6. Transactions of real estate, if an open meeting might be detrimental to the negotiating position of the committee or another party.
7. To comply with the provisions of any general or specific law of federal grant-in-aid requirements.
8. And to consider and interview applicants for employment by a preliminary screening committee (The only position that the School Committee would be involved in that might qualify would be for the position of Superintendent.) This exemption only applies if it can be determined that an open meeting will have a detrimental effect in obtaining qualified applicants.  This shall not apply to applicants who have passed a prior preliminary screening.
9. To meet or confer with a mediator with respect to any litigation or public business.
10. To discuss trade secrets or confidential competitively-sensitive or other proprietary information conducted by a governmental body as an energy supplier.

Accurate records of the proceedings conducted in the executive session will be kept and may remain secret only so long as their publication would defeat the purpose of the session. 

The School Committee Chair and the Superintendent will review executive session minutes for possible declassification on, at least, a quarterly basis and, if necessary, will consult with legal counsel. The School Committee Chair will bring minutes recommended for declassification to the School Committee for a vote either as part of a consent agenda or for individual action. In either case, there shall be an announcement of the declassification of minutes. 

When a specific set of executive session minutes, not yet declassified, is requested by a member of the public, the School Committee shall render a decision on declassification at its next meeting or within 30 days after the request, whichever occurs first.

All votes taken in executive session will be recorded roll call votes and will become part of the minutes of executive sessions.

NOTIFICATION OF SCHOOL COMMITTEE MEETINGS

As required by law, a minimum of 48 hours' advance notice (excluding Saturdays, Sundays, and legal holidays) will be given for any meeting of the School Committee, including all subcommittee meetings.  The only exception permitted is in case of emergency, which the law defines as "a sudden, generally unexpected occurrence or set of circumstances demanding immediate action."

Notification of the dates, times, and places of regular meetings may be accomplished by periodic publication of the schedule for the ensuing months. However, a minimum of 48 hours prior to each meeting the Committee shall cause to be posted a listing of each subject the Chair reasonably anticipates will be discussed at the meeting (the agenda).   Notification of a change in a regular meeting time, place, or agenda and notification, including agenda, of a special meeting will be filed with the town clerk at least 48 hours in advance, as required by law.

As an alternative method of notice, a regional school district committee may, by majority vote, adopt the regional school district's website as its official notice posting method. 

1. A copy of each meeting notice shall be kept by the secretary of the regional school district committee or the secretary's designee in accordance with the applicable records retention schedules. 
2. The regional school committee shall file and post all notices on the school district’s website.

AGENDA FORMAT

The Chair of the School Committee will confer with the Superintendent to arrange the order of items on meeting agendas so that the Committee can accomplish its business as expeditiously as possible.  The particular order may vary from meeting to meeting in keeping with the business at hand.

The Committee will follow the order of business established by the agenda except as it votes to rearrange the order for the convenience of visitors, individuals appearing before the Committee, or to expedite Committee business.

Any School Committee member, staff member, or person may suggest items of business.  The inclusion of such items, however, will be at the discretion of the Chair of the Committee.  A staff member who wishes to have a topic scheduled on the agenda should submit the request through the Superintendent.

The agenda will also provide for time when any person who wishes may speak briefly before the School Committee.

The agenda, together with supporting materials, will be distributed to School Committee members no less than three business days prior to the meeting to permit adequate time to prepare for the meeting.

Agendas will be posted and made available to the press.

PUBLIC COMMENT and GUIDELINES AT SCHOOL COMMITTEE MEETINGS 

Massachusetts General Laws Chapter 30A Section 20(f) governs public participation at open meetings covering all public bodies. 

MGL: Chapter 30A:20 [Notice, Remote Participation, Public Participation, Certification]

(f) No person shall address a meeting of a public body without permission of the chair, and all persons shall, at the request of the chair, be silent. No person shall disrupt the proceedings of a meeting of a public body. If, after clear warning from the chair, a person continues to disrupt the proceedings, the chair may order the person to withdraw from the meeting and if the person does not withdraw, the chair may authorize a constable or other officer to remove the person from the meeting.

The School Committee believes that the school district community should have an opportunity to comment to the Committee on issues that affect the school district and are within the scope of the Committee's responsibilities.  Therefore, the Committee has set aside a period of time at each School Committee meeting to hear from the public. In addition, if the Committee believes that an issue requires a dialogue with the school district community, the Committee may schedule a separate public hearing on that issue.

Any person who wishes to make a presentation to the School Committee on an item which is of interest to them and within the scope of the Committee's responsibilities may request to be placed on the agenda for a particular meeting.  Such requests should be in writing and should be received by the Superintendent of Schools and the School Committee Chair at least one week prior to the date of the meeting.  Such requests should contain background statements which would explain the scope and intent of the agenda item. The Chair of the Committee works with the Superintendent to formulate the meeting agendas. Together they will determine whether or not to place an item on the agenda, and if the item is to be taken up, they will also determine when to place an item on the agenda and all parameters to be required of the presenter. The final approval will be made by the Chair. Moved from guidelines section)

All regular and special meetings of the School Committee shall be open to the public. Executive sessions will be held only as prescribed by the Statutes of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.

The School Committee desires individuals to attend its meetings so that they may become better acquainted with the operations and the programs of our local public schools. In addition, the Committee would like the opportunity to hear public comments.

Public comment is not a discussion, debate, or dialogue between individuals and the School Committee. It is an individual's opportunity to express an opinion on issues within the School Committee's authority. If the public has a question about an upcoming agenda item, they can contact either the Chair of the School Committee or the Superintendent of Schools.

To ensure the ability of the School Committee to conduct the District's business in an orderly manner, the following rules and procedures are adopted:

1.There shall be at least one public comment period during each public meeting for a period of 15-minutes and at the discretion of the Chair, the public comment period can be extended.

2. Any person wishing to speak before the Committee will identify themselves by name and address and shall speak for no longer than three minutes or at the discretion of the Chair.  No person may speak more than once without permission of the Chair.  All persons shall speak to the full Committee through the Chair and shall not address individual members or administrators. 
3. Speakers will be allowed up to three (3) minutes to present their material and must begin their comments by stating their name and city/town. The presiding Chair may permit extension of this time limit at his/her discretion.
4. Topics for discussion should be limited to those items within the School Committee's scope of authority. The authority of the School Committee primarily concerns the review, inquiry, input and approval of the budget of the district's public schools, the performance of the Superintendent, and the educational goals and policies of the district's public schools. Comments and complaints regarding school personnel (apart from the Superintendent) or students are generally prohibited unless those comments and complaints concern matters within the scope of School Committee authority.
5. Any Committee member may direct questions to the speaker through the Chair in order to clarify comments of the speaker.  
6. The Chair of the meeting, after a warning, reserves the right to terminate speech which constitutes true threats that may provoke a violent reaction and cause a breach of the peace, or incitement to imminent lawless conduct, or contains obscenities.

REMOTE PARTICIPATION 

Remote participation may be permitted subject to the following procedures and restrictions. It is the School Committees hope to promote greater participation in school committee meetings. Remote participation in meetings will not be used in a way that would defeat the purposes of the M.G.L. c. 30A, §§ 18 through 25, namely promoting transparency with regard to deliberations and decisions on which public policy is based.

The Open Meeting Law regulations governing remote participation, 940 CMR 29.10, remain in effect, except where the Governor’s executive order specifically suspends certain requirements.  In particular, when any—or all—public body members participate in a meeting remotely, the following requirements apply:

1. At the start of the meeting, the chair must announce the name of the member or members who are participating remotely; such information must also be recorded in the meeting minutes.
2. All votes must be taken by roll call.
3. Members of the public body must be clearly audible to each other and to members of the public at all times.
4. When holding an executive session remotely, the public body must still take all required procedural steps for entering into the executive session in open session. At the beginning of the executive session, each public body member participating remotely must state that no other person is present or able to hear the discussion at the remote location unless the public body has approved the presence of that individual.

Should the public body encounter technical problems while meeting remotely, the person chairing the meeting may decide how to address the technical difficulties but is encouraged wherever possible to suspend discussion while reasonable efforts are made to correct any problem that interferes with a remote participant's ability to hear or be heard clearly. If technical difficulties result in a remote participant being disconnected from the meeting, that fact and the time at which the disconnection occurred must be noted in the meeting minutes.

Adoption of Remote Participation. Remote participation in meetings of public bodies is not permitted unless the practice has been adopted as follows:  

1. The regional school committee must, by a simple majority, vote to allow remote participation in accordance with the requirements of 940 CMR 29.10(2),, with that vote applying to all subsequent meetings of that public body and its committees. Revocation of Remote Participation. Any person or entity with the authority to adopt remote participation pursuant to 940 CMR 29.10(2) may revoke that adoption in the same manner. 
2. Minimum Requirements for Remote Participation. (a) Members of a public body who participate remotely and all persons present at the meeting location shall be clearly audible to each other, as required by M.G.L. c. 30A, § 20(d).
3. A quorum of the body, including the chair or, in the chair's absence, the person authorized to chair the meeting, shall be physically present at the meeting location, as required by M.G.L. c. 30A, § 20(d).
4. Members of public bodies who participate remotely may vote and shall not be deemed absent for the purposes of M.G.L. c. 39, § 23D. 
5. If remote participation has been adopted in accordance with 940 CMR 29.10(2), a member of a public body shall be permitted to participate remotely in a meeting, in accordance with the procedures described in 940 CMR 29.10(7), only if physical attendance would be unreasonably difficult.
6. Acceptable means of remote participation include telephone, internet, or satellite-enabled audio or video conferencing, or any other technology that enables the remote participant and all persons present at the meeting location to be clearly audible to one another. 
7. Accommodations shall be made for any public body member who requires TTY service, video relay service, or other form of adaptive telecommunications. i. telephone, internet, or satellite-enabled audio or video conferencing;(a)
1.  any other technology that enables the remote participant and all persons present at the meeting location to be clearly audible to one another. 
2.  When video technology is in use, all participants in the meeting shall be visible to each other.
3. The public body shall determine which of the acceptable methods may be used by its members. 
4. The chair or, in the chair's absence, the person chairing the meeting, may decide how to address technical difficulties that arise as a result of utilizing remote participation but is encouraged, wherever possible, to suspend discussion while reasonable efforts are made to correct any problem that interferes with a remote participant's ability to hear or be heard clearly by all persons present at the meeting location. 
5. If technical difficulties result in a remote participant being disconnected from the meeting, that fact and the time at which the disconnection occurred shall be noted in the meeting minutes. 
6. The amount and source of payment for any costs associated with remote participation shall be determined by the applicable adopting entity identified in 940 CMR 29.10(2). 

PROCEDURES FOR REMOTE PARTICIPATION

1. Any member of a public body who wishes to participate remotely shall, as soon as reasonably possible prior to a meeting, notify the chair or, in the chair's absence, the person chairing the meeting, of his or her desire to do so and the reason for and facts supporting his or her request. 
2. At the start of the meeting, the chair shall announce the name of any member who will be participating remotely. This information shall also be recorded in the meeting minutes. 
3. All votes taken during any meeting in which a member participates remotely shall be by roll call vote. 
4. A member participating remotely may participate in an executive session but shall state at the start of any such session that no other person is present and/or able to hear the discussion at the remote location unless the presence of that person is approved by a simple majority vote of the public body. 
5. When feasible, the chair or, in the chair's absence, the person chairing the meeting, shall distribute to remote participants, in advance of the meeting, copies of any documents or exhibits that he or she reasonably anticipates will be used during the meeting. If used during the meeting, such documents shall be part of the official record of the meeting and shall be listed in the meeting minutes and retained in accordance with M.G.L. c. 30A, § 22. 

Legal references:

M.G.L. 30A:18-25; 30A:21; 30A:22

940 CMR 29.10 

Open Meeting Law Guide and Educational materials

Adopted: March 27, 2013                                                          

 Revised: 11/5/2020