FALL RIVER — The city has a new superintendent of schools — and one fewer School Committee member, after a highly volatile discussion and vote led to a board member immediately resigning. 

At a meeting held at B.M.C. Durfee High School on Wednesday evening, the committee chose Assistant Superintendent and Chief Academic Officer Tracy Curley to lead the Fall River school district in a 5-1 vote. It followed a combative debate session that saw multiple board members raise their voices at each other, trading accusations of favoritism and disregard for procedure. 

The board’s seventh vote would have been School Committee member Sara O. Rodrigues. Expressing "tremendous concern” over the majority’s evident choice, she left the stage before the board took its vote.

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