The Lowell School Committee meets tonight and will quickly move into executive session to discuss and contract terms for Schools Superintendent Liam Skinner.

Inside scuttlebutt is that length of contract will be the main dividing line, with two or three year proposals set to be proposed. How the votes break down isn’t clear, nor has Skinner offered any indication of how long of a deal he is seeking.

Skinner was named to the permanent post by a slim 4-3 margin earlier this month and has given no indication publicly of what he’s seeking for length of contract or annual salary.

Strictly one man’s opinion, but if the School Committee is going to continue tasking Skinner with making structural changes to what many consider a top-heavy organization, along with negotiating a new teachers contract at a time when strikes are becoming more common (see Newton, MA, 8-days and counting), then a bit more time and security for Skinner to undertake what could be controversial decisions and discussions makes a lot of sense.

The process to determine whether there’s a majority of four individuals on the committee that was elected to make those types of decisions begins at 5:30pm this evening.

Stay tuned…