Kingston School Committee Scrambles After Surprise Resignation

Emergency meeting held to elect new leadership, discuss vacancy

KINGSTON, MA - July 15 - The Kingston School Committee found itself in an unexpected shuffle Monday night, hastily reorganizing its leadership structure following the abrupt resignation of Committee Chair Tim Lewis last Friday.

In an emergency meeting, the now four-person committee elected Megan Cannon as its new chairperson, with Tricia Arieta as vice-chair and Michael Shekane as secretary.

"I appreciate your faith in me, and I hope that I make everybody happy with how I represent the committee," Cannon said after being elected chair. "I look forward to this role."

The sudden departure left the committee grappling with how to fill the vacant seat. Superintendent Dr. Jill Proulx advised that following proper procedures was critical.

"It's always ideal to fill the position as quickly as possible because you want to have a full slate of representatives for the school committee," Proulx said. "But regardless of whether or not it takes place during the school year or during the summer, I think that the more difficult part of this will be finding a time when the board of selectmen and members of the school committee can meet in the summer."

Committee member Jeanne Coleman emphasized the need for a clear, fair process after issues with previous appointments.

"I just hope the posting is clearer than the last time that if there's a deadline that it's honored, so that it's fair for everyone that is interested," Coleman said.

The committee plans to work with the Board of Selectmen on the appointment process. In the meantime, they left some subcommittee positions open for the eventual fifth member to potentially fill.

"Should we continue going through the rest of these subcommittees, or should we wait for the fifth member?" Shekane asked during discussions. "Because right now they don't have anything at this point. They might be eager to go do something."

The committee ultimately decided to leave positions open on the Pilgrim Area Collaborative, Safety Subcommittee, and Technology Subcommittee.

Proulx reminded the committee that proper posting of meetings would be crucial as they navigate the transition period with only four members.

"You have to make sure that the meeting has been posted," Proulx said. "It's just going to be a form of the membership."

The reorganization comes at a pivotal time for the committee, with contract negotiations for support staff units set to begin soon. Cannon and Coleman will remain on the negotiations subcommittee, citing the importance of institutional knowledge.

The committee's next regular meeting is scheduled for later this summer. In the meantime, they'll be working to fill the vacant seat and prepare for the upcoming school year.

"We have a quorum so we can continue to function," Proulx assured the committee.