At its first post-Election Day meeting Wednesday, the School Committee unanimously voted to appoint Kenneth Fontes as chairman and Geoff Swett as vice chair and approved a district calendar that could accommodate polling locations in schools.

Fontes takes the chairman's torch from member Cliff Sylvia. Both Fontes and Sylvia ran uncontested for their School Committee seats in the April 5 town election.

“I get to serve three more years with a great group here, especially Dr. Sylvia,” Fontes said. He is one of Sylvia's former students. “Big shoes to fill in the chairmanship, but I think this group is outstanding.”

After the meeting. Fontes said one of his goals as chair is to build a relationship between the School Committee and Board of Selectmen “to put an end to this perception that the two boards don’t get along.”

Fontes said he wants to meet with the chair of the Board of Selectmen regularly, as Sylvia did, and hopes to see if members of the School Committee could pair with members of the Selectmen, meet monthly, and bring any ideas or concerns back to their respective boards.

Among Fontes’ other goals: Finding more funding for schools. “We really have to reduce class sizes at the elementary schools," which can only be done with increased funding, he said. Some class sizes range in the mid- to high-twenties, while the ideal number of students is 18 to 20, he added.

Sylvia expressed similar goals for his next term, his fourth on the committee. He said he will work to “reduce the achievement gap [between Wareham students and state averages], invest in our infrastructure, and find alternative funding.”

The committee also unanimously voted for member Rachel Gillette to take over as secretary, a role last filled by Swett.

Later in the meeting, the committee approved a district calendar for the 2011-2012 school year which will allow for schools to be used as polling places during upcoming elections as a result of the adjustment of teacher workshop days and the addition of a vacation day for faculty and students.

“The net result of [the changes] is closing school one day later, so instead of school closing for students and teachers on [a] Thursday in June, it would close [on a] Friday,” Superintendent Dr. Barry Rabinovitch told the committee.

However, in order for the plan to work, Town Meeting would have to approve the rescheduling of the April 2012 town election to a Saturday, Rabinovitch said.

Rabinovitch said he discussed the idea with Town Administrator Mark Andrews, who indicated he’d help draw up a warrant article for October Town Meeting.

The subject became a hot topic last month after the Board of Selectmen discussed whether the School Department should be kicked out of its Town Hall offices if it did not allow schools to be used as polling places. The discussion ensued after then-Selectman Brenda Eckstrom said she learned the Town Clerk’s office was notified that the April 5 election would be the last time voting booths would be allowed in schools.

School officials said safety of the students was the reason for the decision. Decas Elementary School is the only school currently used as a polling location.

“The two groups have to work together for what’s right for the town,” Fontes said Wednesday. “Hopefully the teachers will understand that we all need to work together in this. It’s going to save the town money, being able to use the schools instead of private facilities.”

School Committee members said they were in favor of the compromise. The district calendar was unanimously approved.

“I like the idea of the kids not being around during voting,” said School Committee member Rachel Gillette. “I think we work very hard at keeping people out of our schools that don’t need to be there and shouldn’t be there, and then we take a couple of days out of the year and let them all in.”

Members pointed out that a Saturday election, if approved by Town Meeting, might also garner a higher voter turnout. Only roughly 15% of voters cast ballots in the April 5 election.