Published September 23, 2020
By MARK SARDELLA
WAKEFIELD – It truly is the end of an era for the Wakefield School Committee.
Christopher J. Callanan announced at last night’s meeting that he will be resigning effective Oct. 15.
“My circumstances at home have changed,” Callanan said, “and I am going to be moving from Wakefield at the end of October.” Callanan said that is was “with a heavy heart” that he delivered the news, adding that even after 15 years on the School Committee, the challenge “never seems to lose its luster.”
Callanan said that he will still be coming to Wakefield for work, so he will continue to be around. He is the proprietor of North Shore Pool and Spa at 152 Albion St. He told the School Committee that he would be available and offered to help in any way he could going forward.
“I appreciate everyone’s help and guidance over the last 15-and-a-half years,” he said.
Callanan leaves as the senior statesman on the School Committee. He was first elected in 2005 and has served several stints as School Committee chairman, most recently in 2019. He was just re-elected in June to another three-year term on the committee.
His departure leaves Thomas Markham as the longest-serving School Committee member. Markham joined the board in 2010.
Knowing that Callanan will be back for one more meeting, most of his colleagues reserved comment until his final meeting on Oct. 13.
Markham called Callanan “a strong leader and a voice for the schools.”
Current School Committee Chair Aimee Purcell thanked him for his service and added that Callanan leaves “tough shoes to fill.”
Callanan’s departure will leave two vacant seats on the seven-member School Committee. Thomas Flynn resigned earlier this month, just one year into his first three-year term.
Flynn explained that his daughter is a teacher in the Wakefield School system. While he was not on the Labor Relations subcommittee and played no role in negotiations, he said that some members of the School Committee questioned whether he should even be present when updates on negotiations occurred in executive session.
Flynn said that he had spoken to the State Ethics Commission and was told that there was nothing wrong with his being present for these updates, but some members continued to raise questions. He said that he grew tired of the friction and decided to resign.
A joint meeting had been scheduled between the School Committee and the Town Council to choose someone to fill Flynn’s term until the next Town election in the spring of 2021. But Purcell said last night that the scheduled Sept. 29 joint meeting has been canceled.
The method for handling mid-term resignations on elected town boards is set forth in Massachusetts General Laws.
If there is a vacancy on a board consisting of two or more members the remaining members must give written notice of the vacancy within one month to the Town Council, who, with the remaining member or members of such board, shall, after giving notice, fill such vacancy by roll call vote. A majority of the officers entitled to vote is necessary to fill the vacancy. The person so appointed or elected must be a registered voter of the town and shall perform the duties of the office until the next Town Election.
It is expected that the Town Council will advertise for candidates to fill the two vacancies on the School Committee.
