Middleboro School Committee moves to expand to seven members

MIDDLEBORO — The School Committee agreed to bring a proposal to Town Meeting that would expand the board from six to seven members.

The committee voted unanimously during its Aug. 28 meeting to place the item on the Fall Town Meeting warrant. If voters approve, the seventh seat would appear on the ballot for the annual town election in April 2026.

Expanding the committee is intended to address the longstanding issue of tied votes. The most recent tie occurred in May, when the committee deadlocked over who would serve as chair.

Members repeatedly split 3-3 on the nominations of Zeke Lewis and Sue Pennini, resulting in a monthlong stalemate.

“You can run into this problem by having six people on the board, and we’ve talked about the need to take a look at our charter,” Pennini said at the time.

The issue was first raised after the last election cycle, when current regular member Allin Frawley served as chair. The size of an elected body is often determined by a town’s charter, which is typically reviewed and revised once every decade.

However, in the case of the School Committee, its size and composition are not included in the charter. Instead, they are governed by the committee’s own policies and a state law that outlines board structure.

Pennini met with Town Manager James McGrail on the matter, and Middleboro’s legal counsel confirmed the committee has the authority to expand — provided voters at Town Meeting approve the move.

Currently, each member serves a three-year term, with elections staggered so that two seats are up for election each year.

If the expansion is approved, three School Committee seats — all for three-year terms — would appear on the 2026 ballot.