The Town Council Wants to Change Article IV. School Department

ARTICLE IV. SCHOOL DEPARTMENT

Sec. 4.01. School Committee; Qualifications; Election and Term.

There shall be a School Committee of five (5) members nominated and elected by the qualified voters of the Town at large, as provided in Article VII. Only qualified voters of the Town shall be eligible to be nominated, to be elected, and to hold the office of School Committee member. School Committee members shall be elected at regular municipal elections and shall serve staggered three year terms as provided for in Article X.

Sec. 4.02. Powers and Duties.

The School Committee shall have all the powers and duties prescribed for superintending school committees by the general laws of the State of Maine. The School Committee shall direct the operations of the School Department of the Town of Lisbon and for financial purposes shall be governed by Article VI.

Sec. 4.03. Salary.

The compensation of the School Committee shall be established by the Council by ordinance.

Sec. 4.04. Chair.

At its organizational meeting held on the first Tuesday after the first Monday in December, or as soon thereafter as practicable, the School Committee shall elect, by a majority vote of the entire Committee, one of its members as Chair for the ensuing year, and the School Committee shall fill for an unexpired term any vacancy in the office of Chair that may occur. The Chair shall preside at all meetings of the School Committee and may vote on any matter to come before the Committee.

(T.M. of 9-19-2006, § 2006-43, Ref. of 11-7-2006)

Sec. 4.05. Vacancy, Forfeiture of Office, Filling of Vacancies.

The office of School Committee member shall be deemed vacant or forfeited for the same reasons that the office of Councilor shall be deemed vacant or forfeited as provided in section 2.11. If any vacancy shall occur, the vacancy shall be filled until the next regular election by appointment of the remaining members of the School Committee. At the next regular election, a new member of the School Committee shall be elected to serve for the remainder of the term, if any, of the member whose office became vacant or was forfeited.

Sec. 4.06. Major Appropriations.

No action of the School Committee which authorizes a lease or other contractual obligation of the School Department for capital equipment whose costs per unit exceeds one hundred thousand dollars ($100,000) and which exceeds a term of twelve months shall be effective unless and until said action is ratified by the qualified voters of the Town in a referendum conducted in accordance with the provisions set forth in Article VIII. This provision specifically excludes agreements for services, personnel contracts and collective bargaining agreements.

(T.M. of 9-19-2006, § 2006-43, Ref. of 11-7-2006)

Add a new Sec. 4.07 as follows:

Should the Town of Lisbon Schools be designated as part of a Regional School Unit by the Commissioner of the Maine Department of Education, then Sections 4.01 through 4.06 of this Article IV of the Charter of the Town of Lisbon shall be replaced by this Section 4.07, which shall be renumbered as Section 4.01:

(a). All matters relating to education provided to Lisbon Public School students, shall be in accordance with a Regional School Unit organized under the provisions of Legislative Document 910, as subsequently amended and be further amended.

(b). The Regional School Unit shall be governed by a Board of Directors who shall be elected and shall serve in accordance with the provisions of LD499.

(c). The Town of Lisbon shall provide financing as a participating member of the Regional School Unit and shall raise, collect and pay District assessments in accordance with the Act.

(d). All other provisions of this Article relating to the School Department are rescinded and the School Committee is hereby dissolved effective as fo the date the Regional School Unit commences operations.

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