To the editor:
Recently, we posed several straightforward questions to the School Committee ahead of their first facilities subcommittee meeting in over a year: Why had these meetings — previously held monthly — been stalled, especially when heightened oversight was so critical? Would the meetings be reinstated? Where can the FY25 facilities annual plan be found, considering the FY24 plan is outdated, and planning for FY26 should already be underway?
In private email responses, facilities subcommittee member Sarah Fox dismissed community outreach as “vitriolic misinformation.” Predictably, during the meeting itself, direct answers were elusive.
More concerning, however, was the revelation about the Marblehead High School roof replacement project. Approved at the 2022 Town Meeting for $5.36 million, the project has seen little progress and is now further complicated by an HVAC component. According to the project manager, combining the roof and HVAC work could push the total cost to over $11 million.
At the full School Committee meeting later that evening, Fox evaded accountability, downplayed the situation, withheld the alarming $11 million figure, and postponed further discussion until January. Is this the transparency we expect from someone who claims to be a pragmatic, fiscally responsible leader? How does this align with Fox’s vocal emphasis on financial constraints during the recent bargaining crisis?
To compound matters, the subcommittee ended the meeting by suggesting that Coffin School — a costly liability — be returned to the Town while retaining the similarly deteriorated Eveleth building for a proposed pre-K program.
We represent a coalition of Marblehead residents who believe:
- Elected officials owe the community direct answers, clear documentation and respectful communication.
- The public has a duty to hold this committee accountable for its actions and decisions, even when doing so may invite backlash — especially in such moments.
- Regular public meetings, including monthly facilities subcommittee meetings, are essential, especially during times of instability.
- With limited resources, we must prioritize maintaining and improving existing programs and facilities over pursuing new initiatives that may or may not come to fruition, particularly in failing buildings.
Given the subcommittee’s failures, we call for Sarah Fox to step down from her role. Further, we urge School Committee Chair Jenn Schaeffner to convene a meeting to address the following:
- Why wasn’t the HVAC work — entirely predictable given the system’s life cycle — accounted for earlier?
- What are the options for funding the roof project, and what are the consequences if funding cannot be secured?
- Did prior awareness of the $11 million cost projection influence the committee’s teacher contract bargaining strategy?
- Will the committee commit to returning both Coffin and Eveleth buildings to the town by the end of January?
Marblehead deserves leadership that prioritizes transparency, accountability and prudent resource management. Anything less is unacceptable.
Sincerely,
Mark Libon, Cedar Street
Melissa Clucas, Puritan Road
