The Town of North Brookfield School Committee interviewed Ralph Kaye, a resident and candidate for a vacant school committee seat, and then moved into executive session to discuss the committee’s recommendation to the Board of Selectmen.

Kaye, who said he lives on 147 Ward Street with his wife and has three grown children and six grandchildren, described a long career in education and local coaching. He told the committee he earned a bachelor’s degree from Nichols College and a master’s degree from Western New England University and worked as a high school math teacher for about 25 years before retiring roughly a year and a half ago. He said he has coached soccer and softball at multiple schools and most recently served as an athletic director for a year about six years ago.

“I was always brought up to the, the values to give to your account,” Kaye said, explaining his motivation to seek the committee seat. “Now the kids are grown and gone. I’m retired. So I’ve been looking for opportunities to try to help out this town.”

The committee discussed procedural details for the open seat. Members noted the town election is in May; committee members said the appointee would serve the remainder of the current term and likely run for the seat at the upcoming election. One committee member told Kaye he would likely be running for a two-year term to finish out the incumbent’s term.

Kaye used his interview to press several issues he said matter to voters, including past regionalization talks with a neighboring district and questions about the school budget. He recounted a prior regionalization effort that the other district’s committee rejected before the issue reached town voters and said residents need clearer information about possible costs or savings. He also criticized the way median-income figures and other budget data were presented at a recent public meeting, saying those figures did not reflect the property owners who would bear the tax burden for an override.

“There was a lot of information left out of the picture,” Kaye said of a meeting about the budget, adding that the public needs opportunities for an informed dialogue and a chance to vote on large changes. He also said some residents on fixed incomes and questions about sewer-bill collections should be part of budget conversations.

Committee members and meeting participants named several school leaders while discussing the district’s programs, including the high school principal, Mr. Yorio, elementary principal Murphy, and the district’s director of student services, Amy Emery, all of whom the committee said started in the district in July of the previous year.

The committee discussed applicant paperwork during the meeting. At the start, a member stated the committee had received a resume from another applicant, Jennifer Gillman, who was listed among candidates; later in the meeting a committee member said they had not yet received her resume. Committee members agreed to follow up — one member said John would send the missing item to committee members.

Before adjourning the public portion of the meeting, a committee member moved that the group go into executive session "to discuss our recommendation for the Board of Selectmen, only returning to adjourn the meeting." Another member seconded, the chair called for ‘‘all in favor’’ and the committee agreed by voice; members said a formal roll call would be completed as required when they reconvene. No public appointment or final recommendation was announced in open session.

The candidate left after the interview; the committee moved to executive session to deliberate privately on whether to recommend appointment to the Board of Selectmen. The committee indicated it will complete any required roll-call procedure when it meets to take the executive-session vote or to transmit its recommendation to the select board.