4.28.2020 Policy Subcommittee of The Fall River School Committee

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.

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