Town and canvassers’ representatives told the Barrington School Committee they are building an administrative calendar for a conversion from a financial town meeting to a financial town referendum and emphasized tight statutory and notice deadlines.

Marie (presenter) told the committee the process “will begin the first Monday in March because in the charter, that's what it says,” and that the financial town referendum vote is set for “the last Wednesday in May.” She said additional statutory steps and hearing requirements—such as a second hearing by the committee on appropriations (COA) and notice and petition periods—compress the schedule and require beginning work early in March to meet the May date.

Staff said they are compiling questions from meetings with the town council, the board of canvassers and the committee on appropriations to take to the town solicitor for legal and procedural clarification. Committee members and staff discussed coordination with school calendars, noting school vacations fall at strategic points and can affect petition and amendment timelines; presenters urged the committee and schools to share information with parents about the referendum process.

Marie said the administration is still developing details about how voting will be conducted, but that the plan under consideration at the time of the meeting is for a one‑day, all‑day referendum at a single location, town hall. She and committee members noted the amendment process and petition‑signature gathering will likely occur during school vacations and other constrained windows.

Because the charter prescribes the March start date, presenters said the committee and district should forward questions to the court's office and town solicitor to clarify operational and legal details ahead of the required timeline.