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Date: 1/30/2019
LONGMEADOW – Four Longmeadow School Committee members have resigned from their positions in the wake of the vote taken at Longmeadow’s Special Town Meeting on Jan. 17 that could potentially allow for a recall election for elected officials.
In a polarizing decision on Nov. 14, 2018, four School Committee members, Chair Beth Barron, Vice Chair Kerrin Morrin, Stephanie Jasmin and Melanie Rothstein, voted to not renew Superintendent Dr. Martin O’Shea’s contract with Longmeadow Public Schools. School Committee members Ryan Kelly, Bronwyn Monahan and Armand Wray voted to renew the contract, however their votes were outnumbered.
Since then, an exceptional number of residents have attended School Committee meetings and Select Board meetings voicing their support for O’Shea. The School Committee began to move forward in the search of a new Superintendent to be hired on July 1 of this year.
At the Jan. 8 School Committee meeting, the Committee invited the 10-person Longmeadow Administrative Team to discuss moving forward. Administrative Team member and Assistant Superintendent for Learning Susan Bertrand spoke on behalf of the team, stating that the Administrative Team members were “all uncomfortable” sitting before the School Committee.
“We have great worries about potential retribution from comments that we might have,” Bertrand added.
At the Jan. 17 Special Town Meeting, residents filled the Longmeadow High School gymnasium to vote on whether or not the town’s Home Rule Charter would be amended to grant registered voters the power to recall elected officials in Longmeadow. Following discussion for and against the amendment, Longmeadow residents ultimately voted to pass the article.
On Jan. 23 Barron, Morrin, Jasmin and Rothstein submitted their resignation letters to the Town Clerk. The Town Clerks office confirmed with Reminder Publishing that the four had resigned from their positions on the School Committee.
In a comment to Reminder Publishing only hours after the resignations were turned in, Town Manager Stephen Crane explained that Town Counsel was looking at the charter and state regulations and was reconciling the documents with the resignations in order to understand how the town should proceed.
The three questions the town must resolve moving forward, according to Crane on Jan. 23, were as follows:
• Can the three remaining School Committee members continue to operate as a School Committee?
• Can they meet jointly with the Select Board to appoint new members?
• Will there need to be a special election?
In a press release from the Longmeadow Select Board that was sent on Jan. 27, the Select Board shared that the four vacant seats mean that the remaining members cannot achieve a quorum and vote on School Committee business.
“Therefore, the Select Board and remaining School Committee members are committed to filling the vacancies as soon as possible while complying with applicable state laws and local bylaws as well as existing policies and procedures,” the release reads.
On Jan. 28 at 6:30 p.m. the Longmeadow Select Board and the remaining members of the School Committee met to discuss the legal requirements of the process, the immediate needs of the School Committee as well as setting a schedule for filling vacancies.
After much discussion between the two Boards, the Select Board determined that on Jan. 31 they will appoint a temporary member of the School Committee so that there is a quorum and business can continue to be conducted. The interviews for the remaining three seats will take place on Feb. 25. This date was chosen as several members of the Select Board would be away on the week of Feb. 11, and the following week is school vacation week. In order to give all residents who may be interested in filling the position an opportunity, the boards decided Feb. 25 would be the best date to begin interviews.
Residents who are interested in being considered for appointment to fill one of the vacancies on the School Committee are required to submit an application to the Select Board’s office at 20 Williams St. Longmeadow, MA 01106. Applications can be found in the Select Board’s Office, also at 20 Williams St. or at www.longmeadow.org on the Select Board’s Page “Application for Appointment to Board/Committee/Commission.” In addition, residents will be asked to submit a cover letter and a current resume with their application.
Following the application submission, applicants will be required to attend an interview, which will be conducted jointly by the remaining School Committee members and the Select Board, as previously noted to take place on Feb. 25. After the interviews have concluded and at least 48 hours have passed, the review panel will appoint four applicants to serve on the School Committee by majority vote until this years Annual Town Election on June 11.
At the Annual Town Election there will be five seats on the ballot for the School Committee, two three–year terms and three one–year term. Should a resident be interested in running for those positions or any other elected office terms available, they are encouraged to go to the Town Clerk for nomination papers.