Rhode Island General Laws

R.I. Gen. Laws § 16-2-5 (2026)

Composition of city or town school committees — Election and terms of members — Vacancies

✓ current as of July 2026

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The school committee of each city or town shall consist of three (3) residents of the city or town, or of any number as at the present time constitute the committee. In cities or towns having annual elections of city or town officers the committee shall be divided as equally as may be into three (3) classes whose several terms of office shall expire at the end of three (3) years from the dates of their respective elections. In cities or towns having biennial elections the committee shall be divided as equally as may be into two (2) classes whose several terms of office shall expire at the end of four (4) years from the dates of their respective elections. As the office of each class shall become vacant, the vacancy or vacancies shall be filled by the city or town at its regular city or town meeting for the election of state or city or town officers, or by the city or town council at its next meeting after this. In case of a vacancy by death, resignation, or otherwise than as is provided in this section, the vacancy shall be filled by the city or town council until the next regular city or town meeting for the election of state or city or town officers, when it shall be filled for the unexpired term as is provided in this section. This section shall not apply to the cities of Providence, Central Falls, Woonsocket, or the towns of Coventry and North Smithfield.

Notes of Decisions

Cited in 2 cases, 1960–1983 · leading case: Royal v. Barry, 160 A.2d 572 (R.I. 1960).

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Royal v. Barry, 160 A.2d 572 (R.I. 1960). “1956, §16-2-5, they were without validity as charter provisions unless ratified by the general assembly, and it seems obvious that it was for that reason that the legislature included them in the act validating the general and primary election provisions of the Pawtucket home…”

Smith v. Harris, 560 F. Supp. 677 (D.R.I. 1983). · cites it 2× “R.I.Gen.Laws § 16-2-5. The School Committee employs a superintendent to administer and supervise the schools, under and subject to its direction.”

Annotations are extracted automatically from the opinions in the Syfert caselaw corpus and ranked by authority, recency, and treatment. Dots show Syfertize treatment of the citing case itself.