BIA
New School Committee Member Orientation
BIA
NEW SCHOOL COMMITTEE MEMBER ORIENTATION
This Guidebook is intended to be used as a general introduction to your responsibilities as an elected public official and school committee member and provide you with resources to get you up to speed on the wide breadth of issues relevant to school committee work.
Required Steps Checklist:
1. ▢ New member orientation with Superintendent and SC Chair
2. ▢ Enroll in Charting the Course
▢ Complete Charting the Course
▢ Submit Charting the Course certificate to District Secretary
3. ▢ Complete Conflict of Interest Online training for municipal employees
▢ Submit Conflict of Interest certificate to District Secretary
4. ▢ Submit Open Meeting review certificate to District Secretary
5. ▢ Review Section B of School Committee policies
6. ▢ Sign up for School Committee sub-committees
Table Of Contents
Introduction
Characteristics of High Performing School Committees.
The Regional Agreement
About School Committee Meetings
Meeting Broadcasts
Rules of Conduct for Members of the Public
Limitations of School Committee Member Authority
Open Meeting Law
Executive Sessions
Budget
Massachusetts Education Reform
Here are some things you need to do to help begin this process:
The Superintendent and School Committee Chair will schedule an orientation session for new members.
You must complete the state required orientation course. The Massachusetts Association of School Committees (MASC) runs a day-long new member orientation called Charting the Course. This course is presented at multiple locations over the course of the year. Our School Committee Secretary can help you locate a course and complete the course registration. You must complete this sometime within your first year. The District will pay any costs associated with this.
Our School Committee is a member of MASC and you are encouraged to enroll on their website which will give you access to many resources including an e-mail listserv where other School Committee members from across the state often discuss items of mutual interest.
Start to familiarize yourself with the Ashburnham-Westminster School Committee policies available on the district website. A good place to start are those that define our role as a governing body (Section B) and those that speak to our relationship with the Superintendent (Section C).
Under Massachusetts Ed Reform one of the chief responsibilities of a School Committee is the development of policies.
AWRSD Policies https://sites.google.com/a/awrsd.org/awrsd-policy-manual/
Complete the required Massachusetts Conflict of Interest Law/Ethics training for municipal employees foundonline, and submit your completed certificate to the School Committee Secretary within 30 days of taking office. This is filed with both the District and your town clerk. Current state regulations require you to re-certify every two years.
Note: if you have a relative employed by the District you are required to disclose that fact at the first meeting you attend, and you may not participate in any actions that may have a financial impact on that person (this includes collective bargaining agreements and certain line items of the District Budget).
Conflict of Interest Training https://www.mass.gov/complete-conflict-of-interest-law-training-and-summaries
All school committee members are required to file an Open Meeting review certificate of completion with the School Committee Secretary within 30 days of election/appointment or re-election.
Note: offering an opinion on any matter over which the Committee has jurisdiction to a quorum of the Committee outside of official meetings is a violation of the Open Meeting Law even if no one responds.
OML review certificate: https://www.awrsd.org/files/3415/8203/8180/CertificateOPenMeeting.pdf
Characteristics of High Performing School Committees
★ Regular meeting attendance.
During the school year we usually meet twice each month and once a month in the summer on Tuesdays. During the Budget process we may meet more often.
★ A personal commitment to general governance, not micromanagement.
According to Massachusetts Ed Reform the authority of the School Committee primarily concerns the review and approval of the district budget, the performance of the Superintendent, and the educational goals and policies of the District.
★ A commitment to continuous improvement.
Each year the School Committee performs a self-evaluation. In addition to the Superintendent’s goals we also review and revise, if warranted, our own set of goals.
★ Acknowledgement that both institutional knowledge and new ideas add richness to the work.
You are encouraged to become a member of several of our Standing Sub-Committees which will provide a more in-depth relationship with various areas of the District.
★ Deference to the will of the Committee after a vote has taken place.
Please keep in mind that no member is authorized to speak on behalf of the entire committee unless authorized by vote of the committee.
★ A commitment to abide by Open Meeting Law.
Special care must be taken to not engage in discussion of topics on which the committee might take action on-line or in small group settings.
★ An understanding of the collaborative nature of the work and mutual dependence on each other for making the Ashburnham-Westminster Regional School District’s mission, vision and objectives actionable.
The Regional Agreement
The Ashburnham-Westminster School Committee is the governing board of the Ashburnham-Westminster Regional School District and as such possesses all of the powers and duties conferred on it by state law and the Regional Agreement. In some instances, such as budget and elections, we are actually considered to be our own municipality.
Regional Agreement https://sites.google.com/a/awrsd.org/awrsd-policy-manual/home/a-foundations-and-basic-commitments-1/aa-e-ashburnham-westminster-regional-school-district-agreement
Our Bylaws and responsibilities arise out of the definitions codified in the Regional Agreement made between the towns of Ashburnham & Westminster in 1957 and updated most recently in 1984. Here you will find information about committee membership, election requirement (including language unique to only a very few regional school districts in Massachusetts), apportionment of expenses by the towns, the process for making changes to the agreement, etc.
About School Committee Meetings
School Committee meetings are considered to be business meetings which under Open Meeting regulations must be open to the public, however 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.
Under certain circumstances the meeting agenda may include a public hearing which allows participation by the public on a particular topic, such as the budget.
School Committee meetings are usually held bimonthly on Tuesdays at 7:00 p.m. You can view our current School Committee meeting calendar on the district website under the School Committee tab. Meeting agendas, which are determined collaboratively by the Superintendent and School Committee Chair, are posted on the district website along with information packets on or before the Friday prior to the Tuesday meeting. In accordance with Open Meeting regulations this information must be posted at least 48 hours prior to the meeting. Simultaneously with the posting Committee members will receive the information packet with the agenda and supporting materials. Please submit any questions on the meeting packets to the Superintendent (cc-ing the School Committee Chair).
You may also peruse archived meeting minutes on the district website under the School Committee tab.
Ashburnham-Westminster Regional School District https://www.awrsd.org
Regular attendance at our bimonthly business meetings is critical, as school committees may take actions only when a quorum of its members are present to vote or establish consensus. If a quorum cannot be achieved, the meeting cannot take place. We achieve a quorum when no fewer than six (6) members are present.
Certain actions may require a supermajority which is defined by our bylaws as seven (7) members (this also meets the 2/3 majority requirement mandated for certain actions). If you are unable to attend a meeting or will be arriving late to a meeting, please contact the School Committee Chair as early as possible.
Remote participation is possible under certain circumstances, though strongly discouraged.
Remote Participation
Please note that at any time a quorum of members is present in any venue any discussions of items on which the committee might take action is considered a meeting and subject to open meeting regulations.
The School Committee holds business meetings in order to:
● develop and, ultimately, adopt the budget for the upcoming fiscal year,
● participate in annual district goal development,
● discuss & vote on policies that govern teaching and learning and general operations,
● approve minutes, field trips, union contracts, handbooks, district calendar,
● accept donations, financial and personnel reports, district audits,
● and perform the superintendent’s annual evaluation.
We also regularly receive reports and presentations on a variety of topics including enrollment trends, staffing, school improvement plans, special initiatives and updates on student achievement, special education, transportation, capital projects, etc. In addition, we invite our Program Directors and Principals to update the Committee on athletics, physical education, the arts and other areas of the curriculum. Elected student advisory representatives to the School Committee regularly attend, providing updates and input as appropriate. Other groups and individuals are invited to speak to us at the Chair’s discretion.
Our business meetings follow parliamentary procedure, Robert’s Rules of Order, which is a widely accepted set of protocols aimed at maximizing meeting efficiency and ensuring that all members have an opportunity for full and fair participation in debate and group decision-making before taking action. Some basic meeting procedures that you should be aware of include:
● You must be recognized by the Chair in order to speak.
● Debate may not begin until there is a motion on the floor.
● No member can speak twice to the same issue until everyone who wishes to speak has had a chance to do so.
● All remarks, unless in response to question or other comment, must be directed to the Chair.
Robert’s Rules of Order https://robertsrules.org/indexprint.html
On the meeting following the town elections in April, the Committee holds its annual reorganization meeting at which time members elect the Chair as well as the Vice-Chair and the Secretary. The Committee is responsible for appointing the district Treasurer and Legal Counsel. We also determine our meeting schedule for the upcoming calendar year.
Meeting Broadcasts
School Committee meetings are recorded and broadcast live by Ashburnham-Westminster Community Access TV on Comcast Cable. AWCATV offers online streaming of meetings both live and on demand.
AWCATV http://www.awcatv.org/
Rules of Conduct for Members of the Public
Though our meetings are held in public, they are not public meetings in the same way that a public hearing is held intentionally and for the explicit purpose of informing the public on a targeted topic and receiving public input. That being said, we value public input and allow for public comment so that the public can comment on agenda items. The Chair determines the length of time each speaker will have (typically 2 minutes). Speakers are required to sign in and begin their remarks by stating their name and town of residence. See Policy BEDH on Public Comment for more details.
Anyone from the public who wishes to record or photograph the meeting must notify the Chair at the beginning of the meeting. Audio or video recordings may not interfere with the meeting.
Policy BEDH Public Comment https://sites.google.com/a/awrsd.org/awrsd-policy-manual/home/b-school-committee-governance-and-operations/bedh-public-comment
Limitations on School Committee Members’ Authority
A school district is analogous to a business in that the Superintendent functions as its Chief Executive Officer overseeing day-to-day operations while the School Committee serves as its Board of Directors. It is critical that members know enough about the work of administrators & educators to be able to assess and support their efforts and be partners in the conversation without dictating what should be done.
The authority of the Committee comes from the group, not from any particular individual member. While you are asked and encouraged to express your individual opinions and ideas, once the Committee has voted, the expectation is that all members uphold and support the decision, regardless of your individual viewpoint and regardless if you voted against a motion or abstained from voting. It is of the utmost importance to recognize that authority rests with majority decisions and that actions taken independent of the group compromise the integrity of the Committee as a whole and erode the public’s trust.
Our Committee has recommended operating norms for our School Committee.
School Committee Norms https://sites.google.com/a/awrsd.org/awrsd-policy-manual/home/b-school-committee-governance-and-operations/bia-new-school-committee-member-orientation/bia-e-school-committee-norms
Open Meeting Law
The Open Meeting Law (OML) of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is intended to protect the public’s right to access the deliberations of its elected representatives and promote transparency in government. The OML requires us to:
● provide the public with notice of our meetings 48 hours in advance excluding weekends and legal holidays except in cases of emergency,
● hold our meetings in a publicly accessible venue,
● and create, approve and maintain accurate minutes which include the date, time and location of the meeting, a list of the names of members present and absent, a summary (not a transcript) of discussions, a list of documents and exhibits used, and a record of all decisions made and actions taken, including a record of all votes.
The OML applies to both our business meetings as well as our subcommittee meetings. Meeting minutes as well as any other documents, emails and correspondence that you send or receive (including texts) in your capacity as an elected public official become public documents and are subject to the Public Records Law of the Commonwealth and must be retained for seven (7) years.
The OML also restricts how and where elected officials can deliberate. With certain exceptions, expressions of opinion on matters within our jurisdiction must be open to the public. The legal definition of “deliberation” is an oral or written communication through any medium (including electronic mail and social media) between or among a quorum of a public body. For example, if a member of a public body sends an email to a quorum of that public body expressing an opinion on a matter that could come before that body, this communication violates the law, even if none of the recipients respond.
Public Records Statute http://www.sec.state.ma.us/pre/prepdf/guide.pdf
You can find more detailed information on OML by consulting the Open Meeting Law Guide published by the state Attorney General’s Office. All School Committee members are required to file a certificate of completion with the School Committee Secretary upon election/appointment and reelection (available on the School Committee tab on the District website).
Open Meeting Guide
https://www.mass.gov/files/documents/2018/05/23/2017-guide-with-ed-materials-revised-1-30-18.pdf
Executive Sessions
Massachusetts General Law Chapter 30A Section 21 and OML identify ten (10) exceptional situations where a meeting or part of a meeting of a public body may be closed to the public due to the highly sensitive nature of the content. These meetings are confidential. Members are prohibited from discussing the content of
these meetings. Some of the more common reasons why public bodies may meet in executive session include;
Deployment of security devices, strategies or personnel.
Investigating charges of criminal misconduct or filing of criminal complaints.
Strategizing with respect to collective bargaining or litigation, but only if an open meeting may have a detrimental effect on our bargaining or litigation position & if the chair declares this to be so at a public meeting.
Discussing the reputation, character, or physical or mental condition (but not the professional competence or performance) of an individual.
Discussing the discipline or dismissal of or complaints or charges brought against a public officer, employee, staff or individual, provided that the individual to be discussed in executive session is notified in writing by the public body at least 48 hours prior to the proposed executive session and who shall be entitled to attend the executive session.
Budget
Among the School Committee’s most significant responsibilities is the development, review and approval of the district’s operating budget for the ensuing fiscal year and its presentation at Town Meetings in both Ashburnham and Westminster. It must be noted that the budgeting process is made more difficult by the fact that budget certification to the state is usually required before we know officially how much financial support we will receive from the state.
Our Budget Process
The budget process in the Ashburnham-Westminster Regional School District is cyclical and ongoing, beginning in the fall when each school and department budget request is reviewed by the Superintendent and Director of Finance and Business Operations, staffing needs are identified, and collaborative work begins among district leadership teams (including the School Committee) to develop budgetary goals and priorities for the ensuing fiscal year. Deliberation on the budget continues throughout the fall and into early winter and is guided by the driving question of how to allocate resources to students in a way that strikes a balance among considerations of fairness, expense and administration. We must be continually aware of the ensuing projected cost to the towns as there are net minimum spending requirements established by the Commonwealth and when those amounts are exceeded it is possible that it may trigger a request for an over-ride vote by the taxpayers.
In mid-January or early February, Committee members receive a budget presentation which details the proposed budget for the ensuing fiscal year.
Our final vote occurs subsequent to a public hearing required by Massachusetts General Law. This is the time when the public is invited to comment on our budget for the ensuing fiscal year. Once voted, the amount that each Town is required to pay can be lowered but not raised.
Mass General Law – Public Hearing https://malegislature.gov/Laws/GeneralLaws/PartI/TitleXII/Chapter71/section38N
Final budget approval lies with the citizens of Ashburnham and Westminster and requires a 2/3 majority vote at both our meeting and at the respective Town Meetings. Once that vote is secured, our budget becomes official, and the expenditures therein are established for the next fiscal year which begins on July 1st.
Mass General Law – 2/3 majority https://malegislature.gov/laws/generallaws/parti/titlexii/chapter71/section16b
Budget Updates on the Current Fiscal Year
Additionally, throughout the year, the Director of Finance and Business Operations provides us with updates on the district’s financial position in the current fiscal year at our regular business meetings. These updates present a snapshot in time of funds budgeted, spent and remaining for each cost center in the current fiscal year. We also vote to accept or reject bids for goods and services, as recommended by the Superintendent.
The School Committee Budget Subcommittee also approves the district’s payroll and authorizes payments to vendors and individuals through approval of warrants, which are detailed lists of funds to be spent in a defined period of time and include the amount owed, name of recipient or vendor and the budget line item against which the amount is charged. Warrants are produced and payments are processed through the Business Office.
The School Committee liaises with Town Administrators, Select Boards and Finance Committees throughout the year on budgetary issues affecting our schools and towns and updates the Committee during regular business meetings.
Massachusetts Education Reform
You will often hear references to “Ed Reform” -
The Massachusetts Education Reform Act of 1993 introduced sweeping changes for public education. The changes were programmatic as well as fiscal: organizational modifications were introduced; administrator roles and responsibilities were redefined; particular student populations were targeted for additional academic support; and the method for funding education was completely revamped. The role of School Committees was almost completely redefined, limiting our direct involvement to Budget, Policy and Goal Setting, and oversight of the Superintendent.
Common Core, Technology Plans, Parent Involvement, Foundation funding, School Choice, School Councils, Site Based Management, Curriculum Frameworks, Early Childhood programs and Professional Development are some of the areas significantly addressed by the Act.
The Chairperson and/or the Superintendent shall assist each new member to understand the policies and procedures of the Committee as soon after election or appointment as possible. All new members shall receive copies of all agendas, reports, and other communications received by Committee members. Each new member shall be given the following materials (in electronic format if available):
A copy of the School Committee policy manual including Bylaws and Regional Agreement
A copy of the Open Meeting Law
A copy of the Conflict of Interest Regulations (MGL 268A)
A copy of the District's budget
Collective bargaining agreements and contracts
Student and staff handbooks
Parliamentary Procedures: Robert’s Rules of Order
School Committee Norms
A copy of this Handbook in booklet format.
Each new member shall also receive any other materials the Chairperson and/or the Superintendent determines to be necessary. The Massachusetts Association of School Committees (MASC) shall furnish a copy of the latest Massachusetts General Laws relating to education. The member should be informed of resources available through MASC and MASC membership registration procedures. Instruction for access to District electronic resources, including e-mail and the AWRSD Policy Manual shall be provided.
LEGAL REFS: MGL c71 §36a
First Reading: 06/28/05 Second Reading: 07/19/05 ADOPTED: 08/23/05 Revised & re-adopted: 05/26/15
Revised & Readopted: 04/14/20