Elected school board vote today
The Boston City Council is set to take a vote on a long-awaited proposal to establish an elected school committee today — perhaps finally setting in motion a measure overwhelming approved by voters over a year ago.
“In November 2021, the voters of Boston overwhelmingly voted to change from the current appointed school committee structure to an elected school committee, with 79 percent—more than 99,000 voters, the majority in every precinct of every ward—of Boston voters supporting an elected body,” the background of the proposed legislation states.
The Boston has the only school district in Massachusetts with an appointed school committee — a structure passed in 1991 in opposition to an increasingly diverse elected school committee. Only a few appointed school committees remain across the country, with Chicago recently voting to return to an elected school board in 2021.
The proposal scheduled to come before the city council Wednesday would add two non-voting student members in for the 2023-24 school year, then nine committee members representing Boston’s nine electoral districts would be elected in the first municipal election following the passage of the act.
Four members would remain appointed by the mayor during the term, adding up to a 13-member school committee. Four at-large school committee members would be elected in addition to the nine district members in the next year’s municipal election, completing an entirely elected school committee.
The council may also vote on a version of the proposal including two student members eligible to vote with the committee.
During a working session last week, councilor Ricardo Arroyo said while he believes the students’ voting ability is important, he didn’t feel concerns about the provision should hold up the legislation.
However, if the proposal does make it past a council vote, it will also need the mayor’s approval — which may present a significant hurdle.
“I ran not being for fully elected school committee,” Mayor Michelle Wu told WGBH Tuesday morning. “And this moment also is one where we need to have a focus on stabilizing and getting our school facilities up to date, mental health supports and some of the academic changes that we’re making. I’m not supportive of changing the governance structure at this time.”
Wu has previously stated support for a hybrid committee made up of elected and appointed members.
The home rule petition also requires approval by the state legislature and governor before it can go into effect.