§ 10-46 — Regional board of education.

Connecticut § 10-46

• Jurisdiction: Connecticut
• Title 10: Education and Culture
• Ch. 164: Educational Opportunities

Text

(a) The affairs of the regional school district shall be administered by a regional board of education, which shall consist of not fewer than five members. Each member town shall elect at least one member. The committee report shall determine the number of members of such regional board and the representation of each town. The first members of such regional board of education shall be nominated and elected at a meeting of the legislative body of each town held within thirty days after the referendum creating the district. The regional board of education at its first meeting, called by the Commissioner of Education within ten days from the time the last member town to appoint members to the regional board has done so, shall organize and the members shall serve until their successors are elected and qualify. At such meeting, the board shall determine the term of office of each member according to the following principles: (1) The term of office of each successor shall be four years; (2) to establish a continuity of membership, a system of rotation shall be used; if the board has an even number of members, one-half of such number shall be elected every two years and if the board has an uneven number of members, no more than a bare majority or a bare minority shall be elected every two years, except when the unexpired portion of the term of a vacated office must be filled; (3) the same system of rotation shall be used for election of the representatives of each member town, if possible; (4) if necessary, it shall be determined by lot which of the initial members shall serve the short terms; (5) at the first election of members in accordance with subsection (b) or (c) of this section, no more than half the offices held by initial board members shall be filled; (6) the offices held by the remaining initial board members shall be filled at the second election held in accordance with subsection (b) or (c) of this section. Thereafter, members of the board shall be nominated and elected in their respective towns in accordance with subsection (b) or (c) of this section as determined by the legislative body of each town. (b) (1) At least thirty days before the expiration of the term of office of any board member, a town meeting shall be held in accordance with chapter 90 to nominate and elect a successor. Any person who is an elector of such town may vote at such meeting. If a vacancy occurs in the office of any member of the regional board of education, the town affected, at a town meeting called within thirty days from the beginning of such vacancy, shall nominate and elect a successor to serve for the unexpired portion of the term in accordance with the above procedure. (2) Where members of the regional school board are to be elected at-large under a plan for reapportionment recommended under subdivision (2) of subsection (a) of section 10-63 l , and approved under sections 10-63m and 10-63n , at least thirty days before the expiration of the term of office of any board member, a meeting of the voters of the entire regional school district shall be held to nominate and elect successors in accordance with subsection (e) of this section. Any person who is an elector of any member town may vote at such regional meeting. Vacancies shall be filled by a regional meeting called within thirty days from the beginning of such vacancy. (c) Board members shall be nominated and elected in the same manner as town officers in accordance with the provisions of title 9 except that (1) section 9-167a and parts II and III of chapter 146 shall not apply, (2) the board members so elected shall take office in accordance with subsection (d) of this section and if members of the regional school board are elected at-large under a plan for reapportionment recommended under subdivision (2) of subsection (a) of section 10-63 l , and approved under sections 10-63m and 10-63n , a caucus of the voters of the entire regional school district shall be held to nominate candidates for election to the board in accordance with subsection (e) of this section. At such caucus, any person who is an elector of any member town may vote. If a vacancy occurs in the office of any member of the regional board of education, the legislative body of the town affected shall elect a successor to serve until the next general election, at which time a successor shall be elected to serve any unexpired portion of such term, except that if members are elected at-large, such successor shall be nominated and elected at a meeting of the entire regional school district held as provided in subsection (b) of this section. (d) All members of a regional board of education, except those members regularly elected in the month of May, shall take office on the first day of the month following their election. Those members of a regional board of education regularly elected in the month of May shall take office on the first day of July. Such board shall hold an organizational meeting in the month following the last election of members thereof held in the member towns in any calendar year at which time the board shall elect by ballot from its membership a chairperson, a secretary, a treasurer and any other officer deemed necessary and may annually thereafter elect such officers. In the case of a tie vote in the balloting for any officer, such tie shall be broke by lot. The treasurer shall give bond to the regional board of education in an amount determined by the members thereof. The cost of such bond shall be borne by the district. (e) Each regional school district meeting and caucus held pursuant to subsection (b) and (c) of this section shall be conducted in accordance with standard parliamentary practice. A moderator shall be chosen to preside over such meeting or caucus. A majority of those present and eligible to vote at such meeting or caucus shall determine the manner in which any vote shall be taken. The moderator shall certify all results of such meeting or caucus to the secretary of the state who shall then officially notify each town within the regional school district of the result.

Legislative History

(1949 Rev., S. 1376; 1951, 1953, 1955, S. 901d; February, 1965, P.A. 470; 1967, P.A. 333, S. 1; 1969, P.A. 698, S. 8; 1971, P.A. 679, S. 1; P.A. 75-644, S. 11, 14; P.A. 77-614, S. 302, 610; P.A. 78-124, S. 1–4; 78-218, S. 33; P.A. 82-184, S. 1, 2.) History: 1965 act allowed initial regional board to serve until each member town has held a regular election rather than “until the first meeting in July next succeeding”, deleted references to one and three-year terms of office, provided that not more than a bare majority of terms on odd-numbered board expire in any one year and made nomination and election the same as for town board of education members unless done in special town meeting by ordinance; 1967 act returned section to provisions existing before 1965 act except that provisions for two or four year terms were deleted as was provision for half of terms expiring in one year for even-numbered board memberships; 1969 act divided section into subsections, made size of board and representation of towns determined in final committee report rather than by joint vote of town boards comprising district, made secretary of state board responsible for calling first meeting rather than the chairman of the study committee, provided complex guidelines for determining terms of initial members and added Subsecs. (b) to (d) regarding election of members after first appointed members' terms expire; 1971 act amended Subsec. (d) to provide for annual election of officers; P.A. 75-644 deleted provision limiting boards to not more than nine members; P.A. 77-614 substituted commissioner of education for secretary of the state board of education, effective January 1, 1979; P.A. 78-124 amended Subsecs. (b) and (c) to allow nominations and elections of members at-large and added Subsec. (e) re meetings and caucuses for nomination and election of members at-large; P.A. 78-218 substituted “chairperson” for “chairman” in Subsec. (d); P.A. 82-184 provided that board members regularly elected in May shall take office in July, rather than one month following their election where previously all members, regardless of election date, took office one month following the election. Cited. 134 C. 619; 141 C. 401; 169 C. 613.