Rules

The annual meeting of the School Committee, for the purpose of organizing, shall be held on the first Monday in January of each year.

 

Regular meetings of the School Committee shall be held on the first and third Monday of each month, except July and August. A Regular meeting shall be held in July on a date agreeable to the majority of the members. A regular meeting shall be held on the last Monday in August.

 

All regular meetings shall begin promptly at 6:30 p.m., unless otherwise determined at a prior meeting by vote of the majority of the members. AMENDED AUGUST 27, 2012

 

All meetings of the School Committee shall be open to the public, provided however, that by roll call, the School Committee may vote to go into Executive Session in accordance with the provisions of Massachusetts General Laws, Chapter 39A Sections 23A and 23B, sometimes referred to as “The Open Meeting Law.”

 

All School Committee meetings shall be held at a handicapped accessible building unless otherwise voted by a majority of all the members of the School Committee prior to the official public notice of the meeting.

 

In any or all matters of order not specifically determined by the Massachusetts General Laws or by these Rules and Regulations, Robert’s Rules of Parliamentary Procedure shall be the authority. AMENDED DECEMBER 17, 2007

 

Section 8. Public Comment.
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 Statues 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 comment.

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.

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. During each regularly scheduled School Committee meeting, individuals will sign in for an opportunity to speak during public comment.  The public comment segment shall not exceed 15 minutes.  All speakers are encouraged to present their remarks in a respectful manner.
2. 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, in extenuating circumstances.
3. 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 and approval of the budget 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 the School Committee authority.
4. The Chair of the meeting, after a warning, reserves the right to terminate speech which is not constitutionally protected because it constitutes true that are likely to provoke a violent reaction and cause a breach of the peace, or incitement to imminent lawless conduct, or contains obscenities. 
5. Written comments longer than three (3) minutes may be presented to the presiding Chair before or after the meeting.  All remarks will be addressed through the Chair of the meeting.  Comments made during the public comment portion of the meeting do not necessarily reflect the views or positions of the Everett School Committee.

The School Committee shall cause the business of its meeting to be listed and described on a calendar (agenda) in the following order:

1. Roll Call AMENDED 2019

2. Pledge of Allegiance AMENDED 2019

3. Reading of the Records of Previous Meeting(s)

4. Public Comment AMENDED 2020

5. Report of the Student Representative AMENDED APRIL 25 2022

6. Report of the Superintendent

7. Items Submitted by School Committee Members AMENDED MAY 20, 1996

8. Subcommittee Reports

9. Bills & Payrolls

10. Unfinished Business

11. New Business

12. Hearings

13. Matters for Executive Session

14. Adjournment

 

Members of the School Committee may place items on the agenda for the next regularly scheduled meeting. Agenda item(s) are to be submitted to the Secretary, in writing and accompanied with a written explanation, no later than 12:000 Noon on the Wednesday immediately preceding the date of the regular scheduled meeting. Items submitted after that time will be placed on the agenda of the meeting following the next regularly scheduled meeting.

 

At the request of any member, including the Chairperson, a roll call vote (by yeas and nays) shall be taken and entered upon the record. All expenditures shall require a roll call vote. AMENDED DECEMBER 17, 2007

 

Any of the rules and regulations may be suspended at any meeting, for a specific purpose or for the balance of the calendar of the meeting, by a two-thirds vote of the members of the School Committee.

 

All agenda items, records, communications and other business shall be read to the School Committee by the Secretary. Reading of the records may be waived by a majority vote of the School Committee. AMENDED DECEMBER 17, 2007

 

Any of the Rules and Regulations may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the School Committee members, provided, however, that at least one week’s notice of such proposed rules change shall have been given at a previous meeting and entry thereof made into the record.

 

Every member when about to speak shall respectfully address the Chair, confine his/her remarks to the specific matter under discussion, and refrain from remarks of a personal nature.

 

No member shall interrupt another member or speaker who has been duly recognized by the Chair to speak, except to rise to a point of order, or a point of personal privilege. A member may rise to a point of intonation but can only state the point if the speaker is willing to yield.

 

All discussion by members shall be conducted through the Chair. A question having been voted, it shall be in order for any member who has voted on the prevailing side, to move reconsideration thereof at the same meeting or by filing with the Clerk a written intention of reconsideration within twenty-four (24) hours following the meeting at which the vote to be reconsidered was taken. The matter of reconsideration to be taken up on such written notice at the next regular meeting. A vote of the School Committee shall not be reconsidered unless a majority of the members of the Whole Committee shall vote therefore. A vote may be reconsidered no more than once, either by oral motion at the same meeting, or by written notice as previously noted. A motion for reconsideration shall be debatable.

 

A majority of members of the School Committee may decide whether or not a member shall be permitted to vote on any matter or serve on any subcommittee where his/her private interest may be concerned. A member whose private interest may be concerned may abstain from a vote or decline to serve on a subcommittee for this reason. There shall be a time limit for discussion of agenda items by School Committee members of two minutes per speaker in order as recognized by the Chair. A member may speak for an additional two minutes provided all members wishing to speak have had an opportunity. AMENDED DECEMBER 17, 2007

 

All new business shall receive the Chairperson’s review and he/she will present the items of new business to the members for a vote as to whether it will be heard at that meeting or held over to the next meeting.

The Chairperson shall call the meeting to order; preside over the proceedings to ensure conformance with the Rules of the Committee and Parliamentary Procedure, organization of the meeting place, promptly make all rulings required in accordance with the office of Chairperson; and provide for the safety of all persons in attendance at duty called meetings. In this latter respect, the Chairperson shall have the authority to order the ejection of any and all persons acting in a disorderly or disruptive manner, and require that the person or persons be conveniently held at a place apart from the meeting until the meeting has been adjourned.

 

In the absence of the Chairperson, the Vice-Chairperson shall have and exercise all the duties and responsibilities of the Chairperson. In the absence of both the Chairperson and Vice- Chairperson, the School Committee shall choose from its members by ballot a Chairperson pro tempore to serve until the Chairperson or Vice-chairperson shall be present, but for no longer than the duration of the meeting at which he/she was elected by the School Committee members to preside.

 

The Secretary shall be sworn to faithful performance of his/her duties and shall cause an accurate record of the votes and proceedings of the School Committee at each and every meeting, and further the Secretary shall record the names of the members present at each and every meeting. The Secretary shall issue notices of all School Committee meetings, prepare the agenda, and notify Subcommittee members of meetings and appointments. The Secretary shall also perform other duties as the School Committee may, from time to time, require.

 

The Superintendent of Schools shall attend all regular and special meetings of the School Committee. The Superintendent shall submit to the School Committee as directed a financial statement setting forth the condition of the various appropriations, and any other information as may be requested from time to time. The Superintendent shall prepare and submit to the School Committee in writing during the month of May in each year, an estimate in detail of the expenses of the schools for the following fiscal year. AMENDED DECEMBER 17, 2007

 

The Chairperson and Vice-Chairperson may serve no more than two consecutive, one year terms in their respective offices. A Vice-Chairperson may succeed a Chairperson for two consecutive terms, and a Chairperson may succeed a Vice-Chairperson for one term.

The School Committee may, by a two-thirds vote of the members, call a public hearing on a specific matter.

 

Public Hearings, when ordered by the School Committee, shall be held at a date, time and place as designated by vote of a majority of the members of the School Committee.

 

Notice of public hearings must be given a minimum of 48 hours prior to the date of the public hearing. Said notice shall contain the date, time, location and subject matter of the public hearing. Notice shall be made by posting the same in public buildings and by advertisement in the local media.

 

The Chairperson shall conduct the public hearing. The School Committee Rules of Order and Parliamentary Procedure shall apply to the public hearing.

 

The Chairperson shall recognize members of the general public wishing to address the School Committee. All persons so recognized must first state their full name and address. Each person so recognized shall be given two minutes to speak and shall confine his/her remarks to the subject matter of the public hearing. The School Committee may waive or extend the time allotted to a speaker, except that such waiver shall apply to all sides wishing to be heard. AMENDED OCTOBER 7, 2019

 

At the conclusion of the public hearing, the matter shall be referred back to the School Committee for disposition under the rules of the School Committee.

Subject to appropriation and approval by the Chairman, each duly elected member of the Everett School Committee shall be entitled to the reimbursement of actual and necessary expenses incurred in the performance of their official duties. Members of the School Committee shall not be entitled to excluded expenses as defined by this rule.

 

Travel-vehicle use to and from official, government or industry sponsored events and activities that take place outside of the City of Everett; paring; airline or rail tickets; hotel accommodations; and automobile rental if associated with out-of-state travel. Accommodations for out-of-state travel under this section must receive prior approval from the President. Vehicle use under this section will be reimbursed in accordance with mileage use values established by the United States Internal Revenue Service. Conference fees- fees associated with the members attendance at a conference or summit relating to the members official government duties. Meals- reasonable food costs for member, excluding guests, incurred during travel as defined in subsection (a). Amount to be reimbursed under the subsection shall not exceed the per diem amounts as established by the United States General Services Administration (GSA). Phone- each member shall be entitled to a fifty dollar ($50) monthly reimbursement for the use of personal phones and phone lines in the course of their official duties. Internet- each member shall be entitled to a twenty-five dollar ($25) monthly reimbursement for the use of home internet in the course of their duties.

 

Excluded Expenses- shall include, but not be limited to the following expenses: alcohol; tobacco; any expenses outside of the member’s official duties or in furtherance of a political purpose; contributions or donations to charitable organizations; donations to political candidates or committees, office supplies that cannot be provided by the Everett Public schools; gifts; meals for non-member of the School Committee; advertisements containing the name and/or likeness of members of the School Committee outside of those required by law or used for a clear, articulated public purpose; and those expenses determined by the Chairman to be extravagant, excessive or not incurred in the performance of the member’s official duties.

 

Once appropriated, the amount established by the School Committee to be expended for expenses under this rule shall be equally divided by the number of members; no member shall be entitled to an amount in excess of the amount determined by this subsection or an amount in excess of any other member. Unused funds at the end of the fiscal year shall be returned in accordance with municipal finance laws. Members shall account for all actual and necessary expenses on an individual basis and submit for approval by the Chairman on a monthly basis. All expenses sought for reimbursement must be accompanied with appropriate documentation substantiating the expense to the member. No member shall submit more than one report of expenses to the Chairman each month. Once approved by the chairman and submitted to proper personal, a check will be issued to the member in accordance with applicable laws.