[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6372615,"mediaKeyId","2147452-f1ce3e7b8f1457f9f76c75f6d654a50b","parentId",2147452,"title","School committee tables proposed 2025–26 calendar after pushback over pre‑Labor Day start","audioSeconds",1130,"startMs",1912000,"endMs",3042000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2147452-f1ce3e7b8f1457f9f76c75f6d654a50b&start=1912&end=3042","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2147452-f1ce3e7b8f1457f9f76c75f6d654a50b/thumbnail_1912000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6372615/Massachusetts/School-committee-tables-proposed-202526-calendar-after-pushback-over-preLabor-Day-start","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6372615-91a6ec3cdfb4fc613beb0078994dd6a0/orig.mp4?Expires=1771141855&Signature=ZO-wP~202koHvQW3S~WyJm-8w3rYo8RGsS7gzKxIzxZylJXiKxEAGG4zcA5ygJB18oOuU6hj2y~~XlFnv9pJb51DQmfdhZiely1qTMKA8Otc7VJ-xBUUebNdXQy3OcNBnJSgX54anzihYpWO~N-ttHOmCVRWYrXjx-tqz7NzJ~k5vhpia8vL7WQy2XrLE499WwbyV-Evaf~XR~AsnJuql5KnEPmh2RKa7lp5uLQE-l9wcGzrxlYXnAyhG-6mJ-kcaiPzp7nWh1vEisOyLVeHLI4GuYDnjzKQNbOkGj2ja96J-3yG49fuFGhr~KfT~OMA0k~EQBD4OG6XSwo0mhyx2Q__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Marblehead Public Schools, MA","date","2025-01-24T00:00:00Z","article","The Marblehead School Committee voted to table adoption of the proposed 2025–26 school calendar after several members and residents raised concerns about a pre‑Labor Day student start and a \"start/stop\" pattern in the early days of the school year.

Administration staff presented a revised draft calendar that would begin professional development for staff Aug. 25–26, with students (pre‑K through grade 12) starting Aug. 27. The draft also includes a new teacher orientation on Aug. 22, parent‑teacher conference days on Nov. 5 and Nov. 12, and a proposed last student day of June 17, 2026, if no snow days are used.

Superintendent John Robidoux and staff said the schedule was developed after meetings with administrators, union leadership and other stakeholders; Robidoux said the earlier start gives staff a soft opening so teachers can establish routines before students return. \"When I've done it similar to this proposed schedule... it's, I think the both the students and the educators feel that it's a nice way to start because they can get in. They can say hi to the kids. They can meet them,\" he said.

Several committee members pushed back, expressing concern that starting school before Labor Day would shorten summer for students and staff and produce disruptive short weeks and intermittent days in early September. One member said the pattern would be especially disruptive for younger children and students with special needs; others said working families rely on predictable childcare arrangements and that community preference had previously favored post‑Labor Day starts in recent years.

After discussion, a motion to table the calendar until the committee's February meeting passed by roll call. Committee members asked administrators to solicit wider public input—particularly from parents—before the next meeting and to clarify operational details such as procedures for staggered starts for pre‑K and kindergarten, curb/crosswalk issues tied to new school openings, and the calendar's alignment with contract provisions.

The vote to table gives the administration time to distribute the proposed calendar to the community, collect feedback and return a revised proposal at the committee's February 6 meeting, the committee said.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Marblehead School Committee Meeting Jan 24, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","After heated discussion about a proposal that would start the 2025–26 school year before Labor Day, the Marblehead School Committee voted to table the calendar until its February meeting so the district can solicit additional community feedback.","taxTitle","Marblehead Public Schools, School Boards, Massachusetts","taxId",68732,"location","Massachusetts","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6372619,"Officials identify broader scope for Marblehead High School roof work; town may seek debt exclusion for HVAC",488,3180000,3668000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2147452-f1ce3e7b8f1457f9f76c75f6d654a50b&start=3180&end=3668","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2147452-f1ce3e7b8f1457f9f76c75f6d654a50b/thumbnail_3180000.jpg","/articles/6372619/Massachusetts/Officials-identify-broader-scope-for-Marblehead-High-School-roof-work-town-may-seek-debt-exclusion-for-HVAC","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6372619-5d596f9b11f84245a6d64b776944a4e2/orig.mp4?Expires=1771141855&Signature=K9L1612gvWw4UUWELsrQ~RiYgTKfZGoCspuLeodDpWJu9Wy5U3MKifxweKEDDo7RXptks8k9DjAA-SqG5mBnTJhN7eNL4S~lmt1wrR2BppmyPXnplLKuXhcjzmyI-WVaHZvAJPGg2eVjgO9Yr-kO9hk8SO5K9pLFuArV6gUrcTj4tZx7TWnwKMDC9hfM7LnDdEHpFhu2knjxmWupiELIhUB31Ex86B3z8zEmKg~CK4tya3qw092KEaUmKWPRQyMCxosoC4HYDzVeA5EROxQPAQnE77rSupf1f22JX8FAeUvslikCHLDl0daN1RbXXCS4llkTGLH7CwEueVTM7uYWbA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","District facilities staff advised the School Committee that a Marblehead High School roof resurfacing project has grown in scope after designers inspected the building and found HVAC units near the end of their useful life. The administration recommended asking the town for an additional debt exclusion to fund HVAC replacement rather than performing a limited resurfacing now and re‑mobilizing later.

Assistant Superintendent of Finance and Operations Mike Piffling said initial plans and the $5,360,000 bond were intended to replace the roof surface. Once Raymond Designs inspected the roof, staff discovered the majority of rooftop HVAC units are deteriorated and use refrigerant that is no longer manufactured and is costly to source. \"The majority of our HVAC systems were at the end of their life. These HVAC systems use the refrigerant that is no longer manufactured and cannot be bought, on the open market,\" Piffling said.

Piffling told the committee the options were to replace HVAC now with modern equipment that uses current refrigerants, or to temporarily reinstall old equipment using recovered refrigerant, a stopgap expected to last only two to three years if the units survive removal and reinstallation. He warned that removing and reinstalling equipment twice would drive costs higher: designers projected an additional roughly $2,500,000 if the contractor must mobilize twice and the district later replaces HVAC.

To avoid voiding a new roof warranty and to consolidate construction mobilization, district staff recommended asking town meeting for an $8,610,000 debt exclusion to fund the HVAC and related scope, adding to the original roof appropriation and bringing the total project cost to roughly $14 million. Staff emphasized the bid and procurement timeline: specifications and designs will be developed over the next several months, bids issued, and, if the town approves funding, equipment orders placed. The earliest projected delivery for major equipment is December 2025, with actual roof work likely occurring after the 2026 graduation period so the field house can remain available for inclement‑weather plans.

Committee members asked about how the project had been scoped previously. Members and staff said the original estimate was based on a limited survey and square‑footage cost assumptions; a full on‑roof inspection and a facilities owner's project manager produced the expanded scope. The administration and facility subcommittee said they will provide more public explanation of how the scope widened and the timeline, and they urged transparency to help secure community support for a potential debt exclusion vote at town meeting.

Finance director Alicia Benjamin had previously supplied sample homeowner cost estimates to the media using a 30‑year bond for public information; the committee said the town finance office will determine final financing terms if voters approve a debt exclusion. Piffling and administrators also said they will consider feasibility study practices for large future projects so the district and town better understand full scope before asking for funding.

No formal town‑level borrowing decision was made by the School Committee at this meeting. District staff recommended the additional debt exclusion and will bring the request to town meeting and the town finance process.","Designers found failing HVAC equipment during a roof assessment; the original $5.36M resurfacing bond may not cover HVAC replacement. District staff recommended asking the town for an additional $8.61M debt exclusion to cover HVAC replacement and related work.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6372624,"Marblehead committee adopts interim graduation competency plan for Class of 2025",461,1456000,1917000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2147452-f1ce3e7b8f1457f9f76c75f6d654a50b&start=1456&end=1917","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2147452-f1ce3e7b8f1457f9f76c75f6d654a50b/thumbnail_1456000.jpg","/articles/6372624/Massachusetts/Marblehead-committee-adopts-interim-graduation-competency-plan-for-Class-of-2025","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6372624-a2c3723c010a4c152ecc49c67e7a46e7/orig.mp4?Expires=1771141855&Signature=VKByRK7nJiVSM3Pxu9AFOb4h7DCMDykbAbCfpWiJrXzT5nBoWLQK0j9Eg99phiNS769CzyMlBjCIcBLrWybqEMUBCQxQyBw69T4HmnCSeIA4Ps49b5ir43psNhvBzb0zq2YdymLF3wks229byty1O9xB0~sU6ECAZwlhpnWwZ8v0Cf2utUm6EFDSNIjE~reNYsyKOE03k-QZy1cwUYcJt78MAomQIjCbUxQUJp7SZALkAOSh1JUSzz~texqVSOiNJ8q8sTs5pD~CCF2G~K3QoBqngn~Z6IjXrxsmzCQ8cpx64UlO2gjYpzJ7YvVTnnrC13akkcaQt7bjCSTwX0lVFg__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Marblehead School Committee voted to approve an interim competency determination for the graduating class of 2025 that lets students meet graduation requirements through course grades, an individualized portfolio, or MCAS-Alt if they have not already earned competency via MCAS.

Superintendent John Robidoux told the committee the proposal is a short‑term plan because of the tight timeline this year: \"we want to make sure we were very specific that we have to come up with a plan for this year and the school communities to vote on it,\" he said. The committee added text clarifying the policy applies to the graduating class of 2025.

Under the plan approved by the committee, students in the Class of 2025 who have not obtained competency through MCAS may earn the district's competency determination by receiving passing grades and credits in the following courses: English 9 and English 10; Algebra 1 and Geometry; biology and one additional lab science course. Students who do not meet those course‑and‑grade criteria may create a portfolio demonstrating competency; MCAS‑Alt remains an available pathway.

Robidoux said the course‑based option aligns with the subjects MCAS historically assessed and noted the district plans a more comprehensive review for future graduating classes: \"we will have more in‑depth conversations in the spring for the follow for next school year to determine, if we wanna look at, some different levels of rigor,\" he said.

Committee members asked clarifying questions about how the policy would apply to transfer students and how the district would handle students without time to complete a full year course. Robidoux and staff said the portfolio option is intended for those cases. A committee member asked whether the district is assuming consecutive levels of math when it lists four years of math in promotion requirements; staff confirmed the expectation is matriculation through successive levels appropriate to the student's program.

The committee approved the proposal by roll call. The vote was recorded as unanimous in favor. The superintendent said the district will continue conversations this spring about a possible different model for later classes and will monitor any changes coming from the state—he referenced ongoing discussions led by Governor Maura Healey's office about statewide competency determinations.

The committee also noted related upcoming agenda items, including review of the 2025–26 program of studies and other graduation and promotion requirements for future classes.

The policy approved at this meeting applies only to the graduating class of 2025; the committee plans additional discussion and possible revisions for subsequent years.","The Marblehead School Committee voted to approve an interim competency determination for the graduating class of 2025, allowing students who have not met MCAS requirements to qualify through specified course credits, a portfolio option, or MCAS-Alt.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

School committee tables proposed 2025–26 calendar after pushback over pre‑Labor Day start

Officials identify broader scope for Marblehead High School roof work; town may seek debt exclusion for HVAC

Marblehead committee adopts interim graduation competency plan for Class of 2025