The Policy Subcommittee of the Fall River School Committee met on April 28, 2020, to discuss proposed updates to the district’s bill schedule approval policy for the procurement of goods and services. Chief Financial Officer Kevin Almeida and Superintendent Dr. Matthew Malone presented a proposal to reduce the required School Committee signatures on bill schedules from four members down to two. Almeida noted that the 2016 Massachusetts Municipal Modernization Act permits this change, which would significantly expedite payments to vendors while maintaining oversight through detailed monthly expenditure reports to the full committee.
Subcommittee members discussed the logistics of the policy, including succession in the superintendent’s absence—noting Assistant Superintendent Maria Ponce and CFO Almeida as authorized designees—and agreed that allowing any two School Committee members to sign rather than designating two specific individuals would provide greater operational flexibility and prevent administrative bottlenecks. The subcommittee voted unanimously by roll call to refer the policy change to the full School Committee for its May 11, 2020 meeting, recommending that readings be waived to allow prompt adoption.
Topics discussed
- 1:27 · Approval of Bill Schedules for Procurement Policy
CFO Kevin Almeida outlined the proposed policy revision enabled by the 2016 Municipal Modernization Act to reduce required School Committee signatures from four to two and provide monthly detailed reporting. - 5:49 · Administrative Signing Authority and Succession
Discussion regarding authorized signatories in the absence of the Superintendent, clarifying roles for Assistant Superintendent Maria Ponce and CFO Kevin Almeida. - 13:10 · Signatory Flexibility and Monthly Oversight
Members debated whether the two required signatories should be fixed or rotated among any committee members, concluding any two members would best avoid delays. - 14:50 · Procedure for Full Committee Adoption — approved
The committee planned for the item to be placed on the May 11, 2020 full School Committee agenda with a motion to waive all readings to expedite adoption. - 17:04 · City Charter and Legal Review Inquiry — passed
Inquiry by Mr. Kouri regarding whether the policy change required notification to the City Council or Corporation Counsel, which the Chair clarified was within the School Committee’s independent purview.