Committee Membership

  • Click here to contact School Committee

    On behalf of the Carlisle School Committee, we wish to welcome you to our meetings. We appreciate visitors from the community and trust your attendance will be mutually beneficial and informative. We feel it is very important for parents and other interested persons to know about the workings of our school district and for us to be aware of what is important to the community. You are invited to participate in the meeting in accordance with the policy and rules established by this Committee.

    CARLISLE SCHOOL COMMITTEE NOTICE OF MEETINGS

    All meetings will begin at 7:00 pm and will be held in the Carlisle School Community Room in the Robbins Building unless otherwise posted. Click the links in the table for the accepted minutes from past meetings during the year. For approved minutes for the past several years and meeting packets starting January 14, 2015, click here.  Please note that these are the regularly scheduled meetings.  Others may be added as needed and will be posted on the school calendar and homepage.  Agendas and minutes for extra meetings may be found on the School Committee archive page.
Regular Meeting Schedule for 2016-2017 (Additional meetings may be scheduled as needed.)
  • School Committee Meetings
    Massachusetts Law, Chapter 71: Section 37, charges school committees to select and to terminate the superintendent, review and approve budgets for public education and establish educational goals and policies for the schools in the district. It is not the duty of the school committee to operate the school but to see that it is well operated. The Committee concerns itself primarily with broad ques- tions of policy rather than with administrative details. The application of policies is an administrative task to be performed by the superintendent and his/her staff, who shall be held responsible for the effective administration and supervision of the entire school system. Members of the Committee have authority only when acting as a Committee legally in session. The Committee shall not be bound in any way by an action or statement of an individual member except when such statement or action is in pursuance of specific instructions from the Committee.

    Superintendent’s Duties and Responsibilities
    The position of Superintendent of Schools is created by state law to run the schools and to provide the school committee with the benefit of advice from a professional educator. The state statutes and rules give the superintendent the necessary authority to carry out the responsibilities assigned to him/her in relation to the role assigned by the school committee.

    Carlisle School Committee Meetings
    The Carlisle School Committee usually meets at 7:00 pm on the second Wednesday of each month, in the School Library in the Robbins Building on campus. Meetings are posted at the Town Hall. Agendas are approved by the School Committee Chair, and prepared in the office of the Superintendent. Any member of the public may request that an item be considered for the agenda by contacting either in a timely manner.

    Standard Meeting Agenda

    Call to Order
    Public Comments
    Reading of the Minutes
    Members’/Committee Reports
    Information/Discussion Items
    Communications/Correspondence
    Superintendent’s Report
    Action Items
    Citizens’ Comments
    Signing of the Warrant
    Adjournment

    Executive Sessions
    In accordance with the Freedom of Access ("Right-to-Know") law, Committee meetings are held in public. No votes may be taken in a public meeting by secret ballot. The Committee may enter into private or executive sessions upon vote of 3/5 of the members present and voting, for consideration of certain matters specified in law (including but not limited to certain personnel issues, contracts to be negotiated, collective bargaining, security systems, and legal advice or pending litigation). The committee must first be in open session to call an executive session. At the time the executive session is called, the purpose for the session and whether the public meeting will reconvene must be stated. All votes taken in executive session must be by roll call.

    Public Participation
    Meetings of the School Committee are public in the sense that they are held in public. This does not mean that they are public meetings in the same sense as a "town meeting." Although there is no statutory requirement in Massachusetts that the public be permitted to speak at Committee meetings, this Committee has chosen to include on each agenda a citizens’ comment section for comments about agenda items under consideration at that meeting. Civility is expected at all times, and the Chair has the legal right to evict any person who does not maintain a civil demeanor.

    The chairperson may, at his/her discretion, also provide an opportunity for public comment during the consideration of any major agenda item. Please be aware of these "ground rules”:

    • The number of speakers and the length of time each speaks may be limited.
    • Speakers must address all comments and questions to the Chair.
    • All speakers are asked to identify themselves. To be eligible to address the Committee, speakers must live in Carlisle, or be an employee of the school, or be invited by the Committee or the Superintendent to speak.
    • In the case of a large audience, speakers may be asked to sign up before the meeting so they may be called on most expediently.
    • Speakers are asked not to be repetitious of comments already made to the Committee, in the interest of the most efficient use of time.
    • Except in an emergency, the Committee will not attempt to decide any question before full examination and an opportunity for the Superintendent to research the matter and make his/her recommendation to the Committee.
    • No complaints or allegations will be allowed in public concerning any staff member or any person connected to the school system.
    • Thank you for your cooperation.

    Affirmative Action/Nondiscrimination
    It is the law of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts and the policy of this school district not to discriminate in education programs, activities, or employment practices on the basis of race, national origin, religion, sex, age or handicapping conditions. Policies regarding these or other policies and the names and telephone numbers of contact persons may be accessed in the Carlisle Public Schools Students Handbook, or by contacting the Office of the Superintendent at 978-369-4102.

    School Board Complaint Policy
    All parents, students or other citizens initiating complaints or concerns regarding any aspect of the school department or a school employee shall be encouraged to seek a resolution at the lowest possible level. If the complaint cannot be resolved at any lower level, it may be appealed to the superintendent's level. It shall be considered for possible placement on the agenda of the next regular meeting for the School Committee's consideration if requested by the person making the complaint. Certain personnel matters must be treated, by law, in executive session, and the subject of the complaint has the right to be present at the discussion.