As Holyoke lurches toward local control of its School Department once more, the School Committee has shed members again. (via City of Holyoke)

At least everybody knows what to do.

Earlier this year, a Joint Session of the Holyoke City Council and School Committee filled the latter’s vacant at-large seat. Now, the Paper City band that fills the school board’s vacancies is getting back together to fill the two ward School Committee seats. In an August 29 statement posted online, the city announced the exit of Ward 1 member Gustavo Romero and Ward 4 member Gloria Caballero-Roca.

Vacancies in Holyoke’s elected municipal offices have not been uncommon in the last decade. Some combination of the City Council and another entity—the School Committee when it has the vacancy—fills the open slot. Potential disruption on the city’s school board could be a headache as Holyoke prepares to reassume control after nearly a decade of state receivership.

In June, a Joint Session appointed former School Committee member Devin Sheehan to fill the vacancy that Erin Brunelle had left after her resignation. Brunelle had just begun a four-year term and so Sheehan will only serve until next year’s election. At that time, a special election will occur for the remaining two years.

Ward School Committee terms in Holyoke are only two years. Therefore, whomever the Joint Session chooses will serve until the regularly-scheduled election anyway.

After succumbing to state receivership in 2015, Holyoke schools are on the cusp of fully returning to local control. That will mean that Committee will again control city schools. However, part of that process consists of trainings the Committee will itself undertake. While the state has not laid down a hard date for control, turnover on the Committee now could complicated matters.

Approximate locations of Wards 1 and 4 in Holyoke. (created via mass.gov)

There is, however, a real hunger for a return of local control. That could fuel the Committee’s drive to not let these disruptions derail progress.

According to the city’s statement, Cabellero-Roca and Romero essentially resigned to avoid conflict with new positions they are taking on. School Committee service does not include remuneration equal to full-time employment.

The Joint Session, along with Mayor Joshua Garcia, will interview candidates on October 2. The eventually choices must be residents of Wards 1 and 4. Ward 1 includes the historic Flats neighborhood and reaches into downtown. More of downtown is in Ward 4, which also just nudges into the Highlands.

Parties interested in being interviewed may send letters of interest and resumes to the city’s Personnel Department either via email or US Postal Service.