The School Committee held a special meeting Friday to officially announce the two vacancies created when Joe Markey and Meg Tyler announced their resignations earlier this week.

Chair Nancy Cavanaugh said she was notified by Town Clerk Connor Degan on Tuesday at about 5:30 p.m. of the resignations.

“I, for one, was not aware that we would have vacancies to be filled this week,” Cavanaugh said. “I do want to wish our former colleagues well in their endeavors ahead, and then to really as a body to come together to focus when we come back next week on the work ahead and the important business that we have of running our schools.”

The Select Board will meet Saturday at 11 a.m. to determine if the positions will be placed on the ballot for the May 16 Annual Town Election or if it’s too late.

“We’re in a holding pattern until after they meet,” Cavanaugh said.

If the Select Board determines that it’s too close to the election — nomination papers must be returned by March 28 — the board could elect to appoint individuals to fill the seats until next year’s election.

“For the people in the public, I know that this has generated a lot of public interest. It’s a little bit different than what we had seen with the School Committee in terms of I don’t remember it needing to go through either a special appointment or an interim election,” Cavanaugh said. “So this is a little bit different. And I know people are curious, I think a little bit of anxiety around what’s going to happen, but I just want to make sure people know there are provisions in the Mass. general laws as well as in our town charter and that we will continue with the business of the schools. There will not be an interruption in our commitment to making sure that our students and our schools are running smoothly.”

Members Amanda Fargiano and Lya Batlle-Rafferty echoed Cavanaugh’s comments about the two departing members on the five-person board.

“Anyone who lasted these two years on any of these boards has done above and beyond what you expect to do when you get elected into these positions,” Batlle-Rafferty said. “I’m really grateful for anyone who has been here, for all of the work that we have done, and for seeing the light at the end of the tunnel. And I really hope that Joe and Meg will have some time to decompress from all of that.”

Added Cavanaugh: “It has certainly been quite a two years that we’ve had. As a matter of fact, today is the two-year anniversary of when our schools had to shut down at the very beginning of the pandemic. I have been keenly aware that the workload has been a little bit different, not just on the School Committee but on some of our other boards and committees in town and our staff certainly as well.”

The School Committee meets again Thursday night, first with an executive session at 6 and then for the public meeting at 7.