Should the School Committee be larger, say seven or nine instead of five members? Or, what if it were comprised of appointed and elected members? Then again, would an entirely appointed committee better serve Warwick?

And those questions raise other questions. Even increasing the number of elected members to the committee raises the question of who would elect them. Would they be at-large members, their names appearing on ballots citywide? Or might they be district representatives? Presently, three committee members are elected by district and two are at large.

Then, if appointed members were to be added to the committee, who would appoint them and what would be their terms of office?

The composition and method of selection of the School Committee is one of three issues Ward 5 Councilman Ed Ladouceur aims to examine as co-chair of the Council Charter Review Commission. The commission started public meetings last month. It meets again tomorrow night starting at 6:45 at City Council Chambers.

“Nobody from the public showed up for the first meeting,” Ladouceur said Friday. That wasn’t the case for the second meeting last week. A 15-minute open microphone session where the public offered input extended for the duration of the full meeting. Those speaking included many of the regulars from City Council meetings, including Rob Cote, Roger Durand, and Roy Dempsey.

Ladouceur is hopeful of wider public participation. He would like to see teachers, union representatives, elected officials, members of neighborhood organizations, candidates for office, and all those interested in city governance.

The aim of the commission, as Ladouceur sees it, is to review the charter, suggest changes where it feels they are appropriate, and bring them to the voters in a series of questions appearing on the ballot. That could happen in time for a November referendum or may have to wait until the 2018 election.

Co-chair Camille Vella-Wilkinson has a similar view. She sees the commission as taking as much time as it needs – which could mean recommendations would not be finalized in time to get them on this year’s ballot – and bringing them to the council. Council action would be on what recommendations to place on the ballot.

“We intend to go right through charter, we’re not restricting to anything,” Vella-Wilkinson said.

“I’m looking to open up communication,” Ladouceur says.

The School Committee has been identified for review because of the longtime frustration the council and mayor have had with the committee and administration. While the council and mayor have the power to regulate the school appropriation through the budget process, they cannot specify how the funds get spent, nor do they have any control over programs and actions taken by the committee. Last fall, the council had to subpoena the committee to obtain the so-called Ragosta report regarding how the school administration handled complaints involving a Gorton teacher. A Superior Court justice ruled in favor of releasing the report to the city.

If schools are close to Ladouceur’s interest, then terms of office and term limits are on the top of Vella-Wilkinson’s agenda. The Ward 3 councilwoman believes elected officials should have term limits, and as a demonstration of that conviction she is not running for re-election after serving three two-year terms. She announced last week that she is a candidate for the 21st House District, which would put her in a Democratic primary with incumbent Eileen Naughton.

Vella-Wilkinson is already encountering opposition to her proposal from none other than Ladouceur. He thinks the mayor should have term limits, but not the council. Ladouceur does favor changing the term of office for both the mayor and council from two to four years. School Committee members are already elected to four-year terms.

In defense of no terms limits for council members, Ladouceur says: “If you’re doing a lousy job, they’re going to boot you out.”

Vella-Wilkinson isn’t looking for the commission to vote on term limits. Rather, she said, “it is whether we want the people to have the say is they want term limits. It would give them the opportunity once and for all to be asked the question,” she said Monday.

Perhaps the stickiest of the issues Ladouceur would have the commission examine is fundamental to the present form of city governance. The city has a legislative charter, meaning that in order to make certain changes – for example, altering the powers of the Sewer Authority – it must gain approval from the General Assembly.

Ladouceur, who headed the Sewer Authority Review Commission, bringing changes that resulted in the approval of bonds to extend sewers, is currently looking for legislative approval of sewer regulations. It’s been a process that has gone on for three years and involves the consent of lawmakers who don’t represent Warwick voters.

A home rule charter, however, would give Warwick voters authority to make changes without General Assembly oversight. The power would reside with the mayor and the council, although fundamental changes, such as how the school committee is elected or appointed and elected terms and term limits, would require voter approval.

Ladouceur hasn’t decided how these questions would be framed for voters. Would they, for example, have the option to select between several ways to select a school committee, or would the commission propose a single alternative with an up or down vote?

That hasn’t been decided and is likely to be discussed in the meetings to come. Paramount in Ladouceur’s opinion is that the process of debate educates the public on the possibility of change and what that could mean for the city. Also, Ladouceur wants to restrict discussion to the issues of school committee, terms and term limits, and a home rule charter. He feels a multitude of ballot questions would be confusing and a mistake.

But then, he also agrees that of the three issues, the home rule charter could be the most encompassing, opening the door in years to come for yet unforeseen change.