Massachusetts General Laws

Mass. Gen. Laws ch. 71, § 37 (2026)

Powers and duties; superintendent serving joint districts

✓ current as of July 2026

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Section 37. The school committee in each city and town and each regional school district shall have the power to select and to terminate the superintendent, shall review and approve budgets for public education in the district, and shall establish educational goals and policies for the schools in the district consistent with the requirements of law and statewide goals and standards established by the board of education. The school committee in each city, town and regional school district may select a superintendent jointly with other school committees and the superintendent shall serve as the superintendent of all of the districts that selected him.

Notes of Decisions

Cited in 58 cases (3 in the last 5 years), 1922–2026 · leading case: Sch. Comm. of West Springfield v. Korbut, 369 N.E.2d 1148 (Mass. 1977).

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Sch. Comm. of West Springfield v. Korbut, 369 N.E.2d 1148 (Mass. 1977). · cites it 5× “The committee argues that the reinstatement award violates G. L. c. 71, §§37 and 38, by requiring the school committee to surrender decisions which are predominantly matters of educational policy to the judgment of the arbitrators.”

Sch. Comm, New Bedford v. New Bedford Educators, 405 N.E.2d 162 (Mass. App. Ct. 1980). · cites it 8× “The school committee argues that the issue before the arbitrator is Zola's initial "entitlement" to the position of guidance counselor, a question it claims is nonarbitrable because it is one statutorily reserved to the school committee under G.L.c. 71, §§ 37 and 38. While we…”

Berkshire Hills Reg'l Sch. Dist. Comm. v. Berkshire Hills Educ. Ass'n, 377 N.E.2d 940 (Mass. 1978). · cites it 5× “” The school committee claims that under the statutory sections cited above the appointment of a principal is a decision within its sole and exclusive authority, and that the committee cannot, by a collective bargaining agreement, delegate its authority for such a decision or…”

Sch. Comm. v. United Educators, 784 N.E.2d 11 (Mass. 2003). · cites it 3× “Superintendents, in turn, are responsible for appointing school principals, while principals assume primary responsibility for hiring, disciplining, and terminating teachers and “other personnel assigned to the school,” subject to the “approval” of their superintendents.”

Higher Educ. Coordinating Council v. Massachusetts Teachers' Ass'n, 666 N.E.2d 479 (Mass. 1996). · cites it 4× “354, 362 (1940), citing G. L. c. 71, §§ 37 and 38. See Berkshire Hills Regional Sch.”

McDuffy v. Sec'y of the Exec. Off. of Educ., 615 N.E.2d 516 (Mass. 1993). · cites it 2× “G.L.c. 71, § 37. The Legislature has identified and mandated the specific duties and powers of the school committees.”

Right to Read Def. Comm. v. Sch. Comm., 454 F. Supp. 703 (D. Mass. 1978). · cites it 3× “The Committee is a seven member body that has statutory authority for administering the Chelsea public school system, Mass.Gen.Laws ch. 71, § 37 and Mass.Gen.Laws ch.”

Thomas v. Town of Chelmsford, 267 F. Supp. 3d 279 (D. Mass. 2017). “71, § 59 (“A superintendent shall manage the system in a fashion consistent with ..”

Dist. Attorney for N. Dist. v. Sch. Comm., 918 N.E.2d 796 (Mass. 2009). · cites it 2× “The school committee is comprised of five members, and has the powers and duties set forth in G. L. c. 71, § 37. Among these are the duty “to select and to terminate the superintendent” and “to fix [the superintendent’s] compensation.”

Sch. Comm. of Braintree v. Raymond, 343 N.E.2d 145 (Mass. 1976). · cites it 2× “We follow the Hanover case, holding that the collective bargaining agreement could not prevent the committee from abolishing the position pursuant to G. L. c. 71, § 37. We hold in addition that it makes no difference that the grievance arose after July 1, 1974, the effective…”

McAndrew v. Sch. Comm. of Cambridge, 480 N.E.2d 327 (Mass. App. Ct. 1985). · cites it 2× “See G. L. c. 71, §§ 37 & 38; Sheldon v. School Comm.”

Brum v. Town of Dartmouth, 428 Mass. 684 (Mass. 1999). “Counsel for the town quoted, as support for its argument, G. L. c. 71, § 37, which is entirely separate from § 37H, and which, before June, 1993, contained the word “may” with reference to school committees’ adoption of policies regarding the length of the school week and year.”

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