3 join Sharon school panel tonight

Emily Smith-Lee, a lawyer pushing for more transparency in committee decision-making, and Jeff Cruzan, a former Sharon High teacher who touched off controversy when his contract wasn’t renewed last year, unseated two incumbents in the May 18 election. They will each serve for three years. The other new addition, Finance Committee member Jonathan Hitter, ran uncontested for a one-year term.

At their first meeting, the newcomers will be formally introduced and dive right into the topics of the day: school policies on drugs and alcohol, new bullying and harassment regulations, the summer vacation schedule, and renovating and expanding the middle school, among other things.

Not listed on the agenda but just as important, they will be getting to know one another and beginning a new chapter in shaping the direction of the Sharon Public Schools. Tensions have run high in the system at times, especially when it comes to budget issues, and the new committee will have to make some difficult choices in the coming months.

“The budget is always an important and controversial issue,’’ said Hitter, a 40-year-old certified public accountant. “The town has been fortunate because things have been pretty stable.’’

But Hitter sees difficult times ahead.

“The economy isn’t getting any better,’’ he said. “The budget is going to be tough.’’

Hitter was on the Finance Committee for seven years, having served the last year as chairman, and has two young children — ages 7 and 4 — entering the Sharon Public Schools.

Smith-Lee, a mother of two who recently opened a law practice in Sharon, said tonight’s meeting is “really an important opportunity for the six of us to learn how to work together.

“I’m really excited to be part of a pretty diverse committee,’’ she said. “I think that’s a healthy thing.’’

Perhaps the most interesting addition to the board will be Cruzan, a science teacher who made local headlines last year when his contract was not renewed, much to the disappointment of many students and parents.

Students at Sharon High School petitioned for him to get his job back, and parents brought their concerns to the administration. Ultimately, Cruzan left the district and got a job teaching at the Moses Brown School in Providence. When he decided to run for local office, Cruzan approached two Sharon High seniors — Leo Schwartz and Erica Beach — to manage his campaign.

And now Cruzan is one of the elected leaders in the district where he once worked.

“Leo and Erica ran a great grass-roots campaign and it really showed,’’ said Cruzan, 47. “And I like to think that the idea of having someone who works as a teacher on the School Committee made a difference in how [residents] voted.’’

He said the main thing he wants to do now “is just listen, really listen and learn. There’s a lot to learn.’’

Smith-Lee, 43, has a daughter in eighth grade and a son in fifth grade and has been following the activities of the School Committee closely for the past few years. She believes there needs to be more transparency in School Committee deliberations and wants to encourage more input from the community and school staff.

In the past, “there’s been a lot of work done in subcommittees, and those meetings are often held at different and inconvenient times,’’ she said, which made following some issues “difficult to track.’’

“There have been some controversial decisions where there’s been very little discussion among School Committee members at the table,’’ leading her to believe there were conversations going on “behind the scenes.’’

She said she will try to change that by limiting subcommittee work to tasks that are discussed publicly at School Committee meetings and making sure informational materials are provided to the public before meetings.

Tempers have flared at some committee meetings in recent months. The chairman started bringing a gavel to meetings and proposed tightening the rules for public feedback, limiting residents to one comment each per issue. During one contentious budget meeting, Superintendent Barbara Dunham walked out because an audience member kept bringing up the topic of cuts that would affect a specific staff member.

“I left because I will not entertain public comments for cutting staff who are clearly identified,’’ she said in an e-mail Tuesday.

Over the past year, the elimination of the Alternative School proved to be contentious. Changing the start time of school was, too.

Dunham said she is optimistic the new board can handle the work.

“The new members will bring new thoughts to the table, and it will be fine,’’ she said. “Sharon is a wonderful school district with very involved parents and teachers. We now have a lawyer, an accountant, and a teacher added to the board, and that seems like good expertise to have on a school committee. We all know each other, and it is my hope that the district continues to move in a positive direction toward the goals established for the next 18 months.’’

Emily Sweeney can be reached at esweeney@globe.com. Follow her on Twitter @emilysweeney.