Amherst School Committee Vacancy: Interviews will be conducted on Tuesday, April 14, 2020, 6:00 pm, at a special joint meeting of the Amherst Town Council and the School Committee. If necessary, the remaining interviews will be conducted on Thursday, April 16, 2020, 6:00 pm at a special joint meeting of the Amherst Town Council and the School Committee. The candidate will be selected at a special joint meeting of the Town Council and the School Committee at a meeting on April 16, 2020. Candidate Statement of Interest due by Tuesday, March 31, 4:00 PM.
Interviews to fill the vacancy on the Amherst School Committee will be conducted on Tuesday, April 14, 2020, 6:00 pm, at a special joint meeting of the Amherst Town Council and the remaining members of the Amherst School Committee. If necessary, the remaining interviews will be conducted on Thursday, April 16, 2020, 6:00 pm at a special joint meeting of the Amherst Town Council and the School Committee. The candidate will be selected at a special joint meeting of the Town Council and the School Committee at a meeting on April 16, 2020. Both special joint meeting will take place at 6:00 pm in the second floor Town Room, Amherst Town Hall, 4 Boltwood Avenue. Amherst Media will broadcast the meeting live on channel 17. Public comment will not be part of this special meeting.
Amherst Home Rule Charter, Section 4.1.c, and MGL Chapter 41 Section 11 govern vacancies in elected Town-wide office other than the Town Council. Law requires a roll call vote of both bodies, and the winning candidate must receive a majority of votes of the remaining filled seats on both boards. Under the law, absences and abstentions do not affect that requirement, so at least nine positive votes must be made for the selected individual, regardless of how many members of the Town Council and Amherst School Committee are present.
The selected individual shall be sworn in by the Town Clerk at Amherst Town Hall during business hours as soon as possible and will serve until newly elected members of the Amherst School Committee are sworn in on Monday, January 3, 2022. If the selected individual also wishes to be on the November 2, 2021 ballot for a two-year term, s/he must follow the same process as any other candidate for Town-wide office. Per the Amherst Home Rule Charter, the individual will not be listed on the ballot as “a candidate for re-election”.
The new Amherst School Committee member also serves on the Amherst-Pelham Regional School Committee. Check the schools’ website http://arps.org/district/other-helpful-links/school-committee for already scheduled meetings of the Amherst School Committee and Amherst-Pelham Regional School Committee. Depending on schedules and interest, the new Amherst School Committee member may also serve as a member on either the Town of Amherst Joint Capital Planning Committee (JCPC) and/or the Town of Amherst Budget Coordinating Group (BCG).
Candidate Statements of Interest are due by 4:00 pm EST, March 31, 2020. This deadline cannot be extended. A Statement of Interest must be submitted in order to be considered at the meeting of April 14, 2020 or, if necessary, April 16, 2020. Candidates must be physically present at the meeting in the Town Room in order to be considered.
Statements of Interest shall not exceed one single side 8.5 x 11 page (12-point font) and shall include candidate contact information, including name, address of voter registration, email, and at least one telephone number, reasons the candidate wishes to serve on the Amherst School Committee, and the candidate’s qualifications and experience. Resumes and attachments will not be accepted. A description of the Amherst School Committee responsibilities and expectations is also available on the Town Website. This should inform candidates Statements of Interest.
Statements of Interest will be available to the public on the Town web site and as part of the Town Council and School Committee meeting packet materials for the special April 14, 2020 and April 16, 2020 meetings.
On the Wednesday prior to the meeting, the Town Council President will send an email providing all candidates, all members of the Amherst School Committee, and all Town Council members with the process adopted by the Town Council so all are aware of the how the vacancy will be filled. The email will also include the candidates’ Statements of Interest; a description of the Amherst School Committee’s responsibilities and expectations; and questions for the candidate. This material will also be available in the Town Council’s meeting packet materials for the April 14, 2020 and the April 16, 2020 meetings.
Email (preferred) or hard copy Statements of Interest must be made to Clerk of the Town Council Athena O’Keeffe at Amherst Town Hall, 4 Boltwood Ave, Amherst MA 01002. All submissions must include the candidate’s name, address of voter registration, email, and at least one telephone number. A Candidate’s eligibility will be determined within three days of submitting their Statement of Interest
Contact: Athena O’Keeffe: (okeeffea@amherstma.gov), Clerk of the Town Council | Phone (413) 259-3209