671:33 Vacancies. –
I. Vacancies among members of cooperative or area school planning committees shall be filled by the moderator for the unexpired term.
II. (a) The school board shall fill vacancies occurring on the school board, except as provided in subparagraph (b), and in all other district offices for which no other method of filling a vacancy is provided. Appointees of the school board shall serve until the next district election when the voters of the district shall elect a replacement for the unexpired term. In the case of a vacancy of the entire membership of the school board, or if the remaining members are unable, by majority vote, to agree upon an appointment, the selectmen of the town or towns involved shall appoint members by majority vote in convention.
(b) In a cooperative school district, the remaining school board members representing the same town or towns as the departed member shall fill a vacancy on the school board, provided that there are at least 2 such members. A member-at- large shall also be included as a representative of the same town. If there are less than 2 remaining members on the cooperative school board representing the same town or towns as the departed member, or if the remaining members are unable, by majority vote, to agree upon an appointment, the selectmen of the town or towns involved shall fill the vacancy by majority vote in convention. If the selectmen are unable to fill the vacancy then the cooperative school district moderator shall make the appointment. A member appointed to fill a vacancy under this subparagraph shall serve until the next district election when the voters of the district shall elect a replacement for the unexpired term.
III. Vacancies in the office of moderator shall be filled by vote at a school meeting or election, provided that, until a replacement is chosen, the school district clerk shall serve as moderator or shall appoint a moderator pro tempore.
IV. In a cooperative school district, the remaining budget committee members representing the same town or towns as the departed member shall fill a vacancy on the budget committee, provided that there are at least 2 such members. A member-at-large shall also be included as a representative of the same town. If there are less than 2 remaining members on the budget committee representing the same town or towns as the departed member, or if the remaining members are unable, by majority vote, to agree upon an appointment, the selectmen of the town or towns involved shall fill the vacancy by majority vote in convention. If the selectmen are unable to fill the vacancy then the cooperative school district moderator shall make the appointment. If the vacancy is for the cooperative school board representative to the cooperative school district budget committee, such vacancy shall be filled by the cooperative school board. A member appointed to fill a vacancy under this subparagraph shall serve until the next district election when the voters of the district shall elect a replacement for the unexpired term.
V. Any vacancy which occurs between the beginning of the filing period and the district election shall not be filled by official ballot until the annual district election the following year.
Source. 1979, 321:1. 1997, 176:9. 2005, 49:1. 2012, 239:1. 2013, 114:1, eff. Aug. 24, 2013. 2017, 3:2, eff. May 30, 2017. 2021, 42:1, eff. July 16, 2021; 91:318, eff. July 1, 2021.