School Committee
School Committee: April 9, 2026
A routine three-hour committee meeting: recognitions, a financial update, a student presentation from the Magic Coalition, a Portugal field-trip approval, the line-by-line FY27 budget vote ($47.62M, down $3.16M with 22 positions reduced), the school side of the tri-board override tiers ($6.2M / $7.2M / $8.5M), MOU support, plus consent items and subcommittee updates.
Magic Coalition takes its anti-hate message to Village School next
Student-led group formed after the October 7 swastika incident plans an assembly for sixth-graders at the start of June.
Five high-school students – Michael Labosier, Max Colin, Don Obesi, Caleb Sidman (juniors) and Lucy Molinari (sophomore) – presented the work of Marblehead High School’s Magic Coalition: Marble Headers Alliance for Growth, Inclusion, and Connection.
The group formed in response to the October 7 incident in which a swastika was reportedly drawn in a second-floor men’s bathroom. Existing reporting channels for hate incidents had not produced the result students wanted, so a peer-led structure was created to give students, teachers, and the broader community a clearer way to speak up.
What the group has done
- Ran a full-school assembly during MAGIC block, broken into grade-level sessions (freshmen, sophomores, juniors, seniors).
- Set up suggestion boxes around the building.
- Planning a Village School (sixth-grade) assembly at end of May / start of June – aiming to reach younger students before patterns set in.
“Hate is not necessarily in someone’s heart, but more in their surroundings and in their environment. When someone is raised in an environment where they don’t know what their words mean, then it leads to things like this with repeated acts of hate happening.”
“We’re really trying to provide hope in the students’ minds that they have a place to go if they feel they’re being discriminated against. We really just want to make people feel comfortable for who they are.”
The peer-to-peer framing was deliberate – students argued the message lands differently from a peer than from a teacher. Committee thanked the group for the work.
Michael Labosier (student) · Max Colin (student) · Don Obesi (student) · Caleb Sidman (student) · Lucy Molinari (student)
Also on the agenda
FY27 budget approved at $47.62M, down $3.16M with 22 positions cut
Mix of vacancies (11) and filled positions (11) reduced; $1.5M prepaid tuition draws down the safety net to its floor.
Committee approved the FY27 line-item budget at $47,620,287, a $3,157,460 reduction from FY26.
Two passes of cuts: the original $1.7M reduction (level-services to balanced), then an additional $1.5M when the town asked for deeper cuts. Each FTE in the count below is a real position even when not yet bargained to a name.
Position changes (22 total / 18.25 FTE)
- 11 currently filled – reduction in force, subject to bumping under the unit contract.
- 11 currently unfilled – vacancies in the budget that won’t be funded.
Where the cuts land
| School/area | Items |
|---|---|
| Brown | level-fund supplies (−$1,800); reduce a full-year clerical to 195-day; reduce 1 custodian; 1.24 FTE general-ed IA shifted to grant funding |
| Glover | vacant SIP teacher; vacant 0.4 EL teacher; level-fund supplies (−$1,600); custodian; PreK Weds 2-hour reduction |
| Village | vacant 1.75 EL teacher; vacant SPED teacher; 1 elementary teacher (location TBD); 1 of 3 IAs; −$2,600 supplies/contract/PD; part-time paraprof |
| Veterans | math interventionist; 1 teacher; level-fund supplies (−$1,600); paraclerical |
| High school | already-rolled 0.2 art FTE; 2 teachers moved to revolving fund; 3 classroom teachers; level-fund supplies (−$4,000) |
| Athletics | level-fund supplies (−$3,000) |
| District | 2 fellow positions (grant-funded); vacant ABA coordinator; summer IT help cut; vacant HR generalist; vacant PT assistant; 20% Asst Biz Mgr shifted to revolving/grants; 50% Facilities Asst shifted to rental revolving fund |
Plus: 0.4 SLP reduction, pause the curriculum-refresh cycle, −$137,938 daily-substitute line (building subs working), 1.0 maintenance cut, heating-fuel and electricity reductions tied to the new contract and usage.
The prepayment
The biggest single move was prepaying $1.5M of FY27 out-of-district tuition from the FY26 unencumbered balance. The reserve fell from $12.1M last year to a target of $1.5M – spending the safety net to keep teachers in classrooms.
Three remaining safety nets after the move: circuit breaker (SPED reimbursement); a smaller SPED stabilization fund (requires town meeting authorization); and the Finance Committee stabilization fund (broad, hard to access).
“I would rather risk one more year than have any impact – if we can reduce the impact on education for another year, hopefully forever, but for another year, I think it’s more critical than us holding something in reserve.”
Build assumption: 6% over prior-year budget. Plus $540K in unanticipated FY27 increases (incl. Educational Consortium 9.4% average / 12% high-end tuition increase notified one week prior) that had to be absorbed.
John (Superintendent) · Mike (Asst Supt of Finance) · Jen (chair) · Kate · Henry · Melissa · Al
Schools endorse $6.2M / $7.2M / $8.5M override tiers; FY27 school draw is zero
Vote 4-0 after a member flagged "value-statement" language in the slide deck; superintendent agreed to revise.
Committee endorsed the school-department piece of the tri-board override structure, three tiers over three years. Across all tiers, schools draw $0 from the override in FY27 – the cuts above are the FY27 plan regardless of the ballot outcome.
What each tier covers
| Tier | 3-year total | Theme | Includes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | $6.2M | Prevent further damage | Contractual COLA/step; restore $1.5M SPED prepayment in FY28; move 9.93 FTE off revolving funds back into the general fund |
| 2 | $7.2M | Get back to basics | All of Tier 1 + $150K/yr school-technology lease + eliminate full-day kindergarten fee |
| 3 | $8.5M | Invest in Marblehead’s future | All of Tier 2 + curriculum & PD refresh ($100K/yr) + new in-district 18-22 SPED program (~$500K start-up) + school-building capital fund ($500K/yr) |
The 18.25 FTE cut in FY27 is not recommended for restoration in any tier. The schools argued the headcount reduction is consistent with declining enrollment (down 3.8% since 2019; projected 23.49 fewer students next fall), and creates a new baseline rather than a one-year cut.
Procedural pushback
Jen (chair): “Without an override, these shortfalls compounded cannot be resolved within the levy limit – you’ve got school committee members involved in this when this was not the directive. It will be the will of this entire committee to decide how we want to go forward.”
Jen flagged the override slide deck for finance-law-adjacent value statements the committee cannot advocate, and pressed the superintendent to revise. Acknowledged. The deck was authored collaboratively (administration plus Kate and Melissa as members of the working group) but the messaging will be tightened before public release.
Jen left for a family obligation at 7:30 PM. Vote on the tier structure proceeded 4-0: Henry, Melissa, Kate, Al.
A resident (Sarah) asked during public comment afterward whether the agenda had clearly indicated a vote would be taken; the chair acknowledged the protocol concern and confirmed council had been consulted on Open Meeting Law compliance.
John (Superintendent) · Mike (Asst Supt of Finance) · Jen (chair) · Kate · Melissa · Sarah (resident)
Tri-board MOU approved subject to dollar figures being inserted
Same MOU the Select Board previewed on April 8; commitment of no further general override until at least FY2030.
The same six-page Memorandum of Understanding previewed at the Select Board meeting on April 8. Vote here was 4-0 subject to the dollar figures being added to the override-structure exhibit (still being finalized when the draft circulated).
Key commitments
- No further general override until at least FY2030, regardless of which tier passes.
- Annual draw caps per body, school/municipal split broken out.
- Surplus revenue flows to stabilization fund first (target: 5% of operating budget), then capital, then OPEB/pension.
- Quarterly reporting from Town Administrator and Superintendent to all three board chairs.
- Commitments to publicize the new means-tested senior tax exemption (Town Meeting 2025; pending state-house approval).
- Two-thirds vote of all three boards required to deviate (“black swan” mechanism).
“It’s a recognition by town leaders that the budgetary limits imposed by the tier voters select are the ones we’re going to have to live with for the next three years.”
Kate · Mike (Asst Supt of Finance) · Henry · Melissa · Al
FY26 unencumbered balance just under $2.1M; $1.5M earmarked for prepaid tuition
Monthly financial update plus unexpected HVAC, bus, and elevator repairs in March.
Asst Supt Mike’s monthly update.
- FY26 unencumbered balance: just under $2.1M, down about $614K from last month. The push to close out FY26 expenses was deliberate.
- Reserved for next year: $1.5M to subsidize the FY27 out-of-district tuition line via prepayment (driving the budget vote later in the agenda).
- March surprises: HVAC failures at Brown and Glover; bus repairs; elevator repairs. “When it rains, it pours.”
Roof projects in motion: Veterans Middle School roof restarting within two weeks; Marblehead High School roof – three small sections done during April vacation (the section above the meeting room, a section by the concession stand, and one on the far side). Sections selected to avoid HVAC/exhaust units. “Praying for nice weather.”
Mike (Asst Supt of Finance)
Portugal field trip approved for April 15-24, 2026
Lisbon and Porto base cities; same vendor and tour guide as last year's trip after weather rerouting.
Lead world-language teacher Kelly presented an international field-trip request: a Portugal trip from April 15-24, 2026, slightly overlapping the start of April vacation week.
- Two base cities (Lisbon and Porto) chosen to reduce hotel-hopping after lessons learned from this year’s trip.
- Same vendor; same tour guide, Haime Crystal, who navigated the group through a blizzard during the previous trip.
- Chaperones: Dan Richards (admin), Erin Bark, Jay Gudara, and Kelly herself.
- Itinerary: Sintra, Coimbra day trips; ruins, castles, fortresses; a Portuguese cooking class; the bookstore in Porto.
Although Portuguese isn’t taught at MHS, the romance-language connections give students a real linguistic angle.
Vote: 5-0.
Kelly (Lead World Language Teacher) · Jen (chair) · Henry · Melissa · Kate · Al
Recognitions, MECCO advocacy day, and a joint letter on student safety
Suffs Broadway visit, Drive to Stay Alive parent night, COA panel with all department heads, and a coming joint letter from the chief and Tucker.
Superintendent’s announcements covered the week’s community work:
- Harry Ki, MHS ‘11 alum and co-producer of the Broadway show Suffs, came to work with the MHS women’s ensemble on the show’s final number, performed at Marblehead Little Theater. Thanks to Colleen for the connection.
- May 4 Town Meeting parking – participants getting VIP parking at 5:00 PM (meeting moves to MHS field house).
- Drive to Stay Alive – Essex County DA’s office programming for senior students and parents on substance abuse, social hosting, and prom-season safety. Presenters: Kathy and Chris Sullivan.
- Joint letter drafted by Chief King, DA Paul Tucker, and the Superintendent on the town’s collective commitment to student safety – to be released shortly. All three will sit on a panel at the April 14 Board of Health meeting at Mary Alley, 7:00 PM.
- MECCO advocacy day at the State House the following Monday. Funding for the program may be reduced; a transportation collaboration with Swampscott is being piloted to absorb any cuts.
- COA panel with all Marblehead department heads hosted by the Select Board – first time the format had been tried, well-received with ~30 community members.
Principal shoutouts: MVMS Tech Department (MCAS testing transition); Mary Davies (Village substitute, decade-plus); Eileen DeMoore (Brown music teacher, second-year live arrival concert program).
John (Superintendent)
Bills, surplus, and a $215 donation for the Borndale fishing trip
Routine consent: bill schedules at $443K, athletic equipment surplus, and a tackle-shop donation.
Bills consent approved: bill schedules totaling $443,690.77 plus minutes from March 12 and March 27, 2026.
Athletic Director Ken Cant declared surplus on portable basketball nets, field sweepers, and miscellaneous broken equipment totaling roughly $1,100. Standard end-of-year housekeeping. Approved.
Tommo Tackle at 104 Highland St, Salem donated a rod/reel combination ($140), a $25 gift certificate, and a $50 gift certificate – total $215 – for the Borndale outdoor-education trip. Phys-ed director Steve Vulpi worked with the shop. Thank-you noted to Tommo’s. Approved.
John (Superintendent) · Kate · Henry · Melissa · Al
Calendar shuffle: June 18 → June 11; April 16 → April 30
Election cycle alignment for June; member availability for April.
Two committee meeting dates moved:
- June 18 → June 11 – aligns with the post-election cycle so new membership/sub-committee assignments can be sorted quickly after the June ballot.
- April 16 → April 30 – Jen and Melissa both unavailable on the 16th; the 23rd is school vacation week so the 30th is the next workable Thursday.
Also affirmed: executive session minutes from September 12, 2025 and October 10, 2025 remain under non-disclosure following the March 19, 2026 re-review.
Jen (chair) · Melissa · Kate
Subcommittee updates: roofs on schedule, CPAC recruiting, wellness policy done
Vets and HS roof projects tracking; CPAC light on agenda; wellness committee finished its policy revision.
Roof subcommittee
Roof project at Veterans Middle School starting up in two weeks; Marblehead High School roof done in three small sections during April vacation. Long-lead HVAC and steel-fabrication items being tracked closely; delivery on schedule. CORI approvals underway for site contractors.
CPAC (Community Preservation Advisory Committee)
Meeting was short on agenda items – most resident questions were about the budget and override. CPAC is recruiting new members and a chair; reach out if interested.
Wellness Advisory Committee
Bulk of the year’s work was revising the wellness policy (already approved). New items discussed: distracted driving (Kate flagged), new DESE guidance items, and a draft measles protocol by school nurse Megan in case of an outbreak. The committee will continue meeting on implementation.
Policy Subcommittee
No formal update.
Kate · Henry · John (Superintendent)
Tonight's record
9 decisions ▾
- Approved Portugal field trip (Apr 15-24, 2026); same vendor and tour guide Haime Crystal; chaperones Dan Richards, Erin Bark, Jay Gudara, Kelly
- Approved FY27 line-item budget at $47,620,287 – a $3,157,460 reduction; 22 positions affected (18.25 FTE; 11 vacant, 11 currently filled)
- Endorsed school-side override structure: Tier 1 $6.2M, Tier 2 $7.2M, Tier 3 $8.5M over three years; schools draw $0 in FY27 across all tiers
- Voted to support draft tri-board MOU on the FY27-FY29 override framework, subject to numbers being added to the override structure section
- Approved bills consent: schedules totaling $443,690.77 and meeting minutes from March 12 and March 27, 2026
- Declared athletic equipment as surplus (portable basketball nets, field sweepers; ~$1,100)
- Accepted Tommo Tackle donation for Borndale trip: $215 ($140 rod/reel combo + $25 + $50 gift certificates)
- Affirmed continued non-disclosure of executive session minutes from September 12 and October 10, 2025 (re-reviewed March 19, 2026)
- Moved June 18 meeting to June 11 (election cycle alignment) and April 16 meeting to April 30 (member availability)
7 votes ▾
- 5-0 (Jen, Henry, Melissa, Kate, Al) Approve Portugal field trip request (April 15-24, 2026)
- 5-0 (Jen, Henry, Melissa, Kate, Al) Approve FY27 line-item budget as presented ($47,620,287)
- 4-0 (Jen left at 7:30; Henry, Melissa, Kate, Al) Approve three-tier school-side override structure ($6.2M / $7.2M / $8.5M)
- 4-0 (Henry, Melissa, Kate, Al) Approve draft tri-board MOU subject to numbers being added to override structure section
- in favor (voice vote) Approve consent: bills schedules ($443,690.77) and minutes (March 12 and March 27)
- in favor (voice vote) Declare athletic equipment (per Ken's memo) as surplus
- in favor (voice vote) Accept Tommo Tackle donation ($215) for the Borndale trip
8 documents ▾
- FY27 Marblehead Public Schools line-item budget — Approved 5-0 at this meeting; $47,620,287 total. Distributed in board packet; not yet on the school department website.
- FY27-FY29 tri-board override draft Memorandum of Understanding — Six-page draft; voted 4-0 here subject to dollar figures being added to the override structure section. Same MOU previewed at Select Board on April 8.
- Override tier slide deck (school department piece) — Collaboratively authored by administration plus Kate and Melissa as working-group members. Chair flagged finance-law-adjacent advocacy language; will be revised before public release.
- Magic Coalition presentation — Student-led; Marble Headers Alliance for Growth, Inclusion, and Connection. No accompanying handout; presentation is in the video.
- Portugal field trip itinerary and chaperone roster — Vendor: same as 2025 trip; tour guide Haime Crystal returns. Chaperones: Dan Richards (admin), Erin Bark, Jay Gudara, Kelly. April 15-24, 2026.
- Tommo Tackle donation letter ($215) — Borndale outdoor-education trip; rod/reel + gift certificates. Standard donation acceptance.
- March 12 and March 27, 2026 meeting minutes — Approved as part of consent.
- Bills schedules totaling $443,690.77 — Standard consent; no objection.
180 min full transcript ▾
AI-generated · may contain errors · verify with the source video
Note on this transcript. Source is the School Committee’s YouTube channel (SC YouTube) – the specific video for this meeting has not been resolved here, so timestamp jump-links go to the channel root, not to a per-meeting URL. The text below is a machine-cleaned transcript with no speaker boundaries or timestamps preserved. Attributions are inferred from context. For verbatim quotes, please confirm against the source video.
Superintendent’s announcements and recognitions (approx. 0:00 – 15:00)
Harry Ki, MHS ‘11 / Broadway producer of Suffs – came to Marblehead Little Theater to work with the MHS women’s ensemble on the show’s final number, and to talk to students about her Broadway journey. Thanks to Colleen.
May 4 Town Meeting parking – participants get VIP parking from 5:00 PM, moving inside MHS field house for the meeting.
Drive to Stay Alive – Essex County DA’s office event for senior parents and students on substance abuse, social hosting, and prom-season safety. Presenters Kathy and Chris Sullivan.
Joint safety letter – Chief King, DA Paul Tucker, and Supt John drafted a joint letter; release imminent. All three will sit on a panel at the April 14 Board of Health meeting at Mary Alley (7:00 PM).
MECCO advocacy day at the State House the following Monday. Possible state-level funding reduction next year; a transportation collaboration with Swampscott is being piloted to mitigate.
COA panel – first-time format hosted by the Select Board with all Marblehead department heads. About 30 community members attended; well-received.
Principal shoutouts – MVMS Tech Department (smooth same-day MCAS rollout), Mary Davies (Village substitute, decade-plus), Eileen DeMoore (Brown music teacher, second year of live morning concerts and an evening 1st-3rd grade concert).
Monthly financial update (approx. 15:00 – 25:00)
Asst Supt Mike reported the FY26 unencumbered balance just under $2.1M, down about $614K from the prior month due to deliberate end-of-FY26 spending. $1.5M reserved for FY27 prepaid out-of-district tuition. March surprises: HVAC repairs at Brown and Glover, bus repairs, elevator repairs. Vets MS roof restarts in two weeks; HS roof (three sections including the section above the meeting room) during April vacation week.
High school spotlight: Magic Coalition (approx. 25:00 – 40:00)
Students Michael Labosier, Max Colin, Don Obesi, Caleb Sidman (juniors) and Lucy Molinari (sophomore) presented the Marble Headers Alliance for Growth, Inclusion, and Connection. Formed after the October 7 incident in which a swastika was reportedly drawn in the men’s second-floor bathroom. Ran a full-school assembly broken by class year, set up suggestion boxes, and are preparing to bring an assembly to the Village School sixth-grade in late May / early June.
Portugal field trip request (approx. 40:00 – 50:00)
Lead world-language teacher Kelly requested approval for a Portugal field trip April 15-24, 2026. Two base cities (Lisbon and Porto) chosen to reduce hotel-hopping. Same vendor and tour guide (Haime Crystal) as the previous trip. Chaperones: Dan Richards (admin), Erin Bark, Jay Gudara, and Kelly. Approved 5-0.
FY27 budget approval – line by line (approx. 50:00 – 1:30:00)
Supt John framed the budget process. FY26 = $49,122,287; FY27 level-services would have been $50,773,633; approved FY27 = $47,620,287, a $3,157,460 reduction. 22 positions affected, 18.25 FTE; 11 currently filled, 11 unfilled. Areas of cost growth the district can’t control: SPED out-of-district tuition (Educational Consortium notified the district one week prior of a 9.4% average / 12% high-end increase), transportation, contractual COLA and step.
Asst Supt Mike walked through the cuts school-by-school (see table in the summary above). Key strategic move: prepaying $1.5M of FY27 out-of-district tuition from the FY26 unencumbered balance, dropping the reserve from $12.1M last year to $1.5M. Remaining safety nets: circuit breaker (SPED reimbursement), the smaller SPED stabilization fund (requires Town Meeting), and the Finance Committee stabilization fund (hard to access).
Committee discussion focused on principal involvement (yes, all along), the 22 vs. 11 distinction (filled vs vacant), administrative cuts (ABA coordinator, HR generalist, summer IT), and whether the override would restore positions in FY28-29 (cannot compel a future committee). Budget approved 5-0.
Override tier endorsement (approx. 1:30:00 – 2:15:00)
Supt John presented the school-side override structure produced in the tri-board working group. Three tiers over three years:
| Tier | 3-year total | School theme |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | $6.2M | Prevent further damage – FY27 $0, FY28 $4.3M, FY29 $1.9M |
| 2 | $7.2M | Get back to basics – adds tech lease + remove full-day K fee |
| 3 | $8.5M | Invest in MHD’s future – adds curriculum/PD, 18-22 SPED program, building capital fund |
Across all tiers: schools draw $0 from the override in FY27; the 18.25 FTE cut in this budget cycle is not recommended for restoration in any tier; the cut tracks declining enrollment (down 3.8% since 2019, 86 fewer students projected next fall).
Chair pushback. Jen flagged finance-law-adjacent advocacy language in the override slide deck (“without an override these shortfalls compounded cannot be resolved within the levy limit” was the specific phrase). Town committees can present information but cannot tell residents how to vote. Supt John acknowledged and committed to revising. The deck had been drafted collaboratively by administration plus working-group members Kate and Melissa.
Jen left for a family obligation at 7:30 PM. The remaining four members voted 4-0 to endorse the tier structure.
Tri-board MOU support (approx. 2:15:00 – 2:30:00)
Kate summarized the same six-page tri-board MOU the Select Board had previewed the previous evening. The MOU covers FY27-FY29: no further general override until at least FY2030; annual draw caps; free-cash phase-down ($5M → $4M → $3M); 6% health-insurance assumption; new-growth split (62/38 town/schools); two-thirds-of-all-three-boards “black swan” mechanism for deviation; quarterly reporting. Approved 4-0 subject to the dollar figures being added to the structure exhibit.
Public comment after the override vote (approx. 2:30:00 – 2:40:00)
Resident Sarah asked whether the agenda had clearly indicated a vote would happen, noting that public engagement before a vote is preferable to engagement after. Chair confirmed council had been consulted on Open Meeting Law and the agenda did not technically need to be amended. Sarah also asked about the additional 1.5M cut beyond the originally-discussed 1.7M, and whether the cuts were always staged or triggered by the Collaborative tuition surprise. Supt confirmed the cuts were always staged; the unexpected Collaborative increase merely consumed some of the cushion.
Consent items and other business (approx. 2:40:00 – 3:00:00)
Bills consent. Schedules totaling $443,690.77; minutes from March 12 and March 27. Approved.
Athletic surplus. Ken Cant’s memo listed portable basketball nets, field sweepers, and other broken equipment totaling ~$1,100. Approved.
Tommo Tackle donation. $140 rod/reel combination + $25 + $50 gift certificates ($215 total) for the Borndale outdoor-education fishing trip. Phys-ed director Steve Vulpi worked with the shop. Approved.
Executive session minutes from September 12, 2025 and October 10, 2025 reaffirmed as still warranting non-disclosure per the March 19, 2026 re-review.
Calendar adjustments. June 18 meeting moved to June 11 (election cycle alignment); April 16 meeting moved to April 30 (Jen and Melissa unavailable). Discussed informally; no vote required.
Subcommittee updates. Roof subcommittee: Vets and HS roof projects on track, long-lead HVAC items tracking. CPAC: light agenda, recruiting members and a chair. Wellness committee: completed policy revision, discussed measles protocol drafted by nurse Megan, and distracted-driving policy work flagged by Kate. No policy-subcommittee update.
Meeting adjourned.