To the editor:
The School Committee’s facilities subcommittee met twice this month — their first meetings since September 2023. Many concerned residents had emailed Sarah Fox, the subcommittee chair, asking why the group had been dormant and why the long-delayed MHS roof replacement and HVAC project (approved by Town Meeting in 2022) had yet to move forward as the roof’s condition steadily worsened.
Unfortunately, these concerns were justified. First, it was revealed that the estimated cost of the MHS roof project has doubled from $5.36 million in 2022 to over $11 million. It then climbed again to nearly $14 million.
During these meetings, Fox stood by the claim that the roof project’s two-year delay stemmed primarily from the lengthy Massachusetts School Building Authority grant process. Fox’s acknowledgement of the extended delay at a subsequent meeting felt inadeuqte. In contrast, Assistant Superintendent of Finance & Operations Mike Pfiffering stood out with his honest and direct approach to addressing the unfortunate situation.
At the 12/19 SC meeting, Fox invited the public to dig through years of records for clarity and stated that she is working on a timeline. In the meantime, a group of community members created a comprehensive timeline ourselves, with links to key documents, recordings and media coverage which you can see here.
Since the roof project was approved, district and School Committee leadership has changed multiple times, with one exception: Sarah Fox. Her leadership of the facilities subcommittee has not met the minimum standards expected for overseeing such a critical infrastructure project.
At their first meeting in 2025, the School Committee must appoint a new facilities lead to get this critical project back on track. We encourage you to join us in reaching out to SC Chair Jenn Schaeffner at schaeffner.jennifer@marbleheadschools.org to advocate for this necessary change.
Sincerely,
Kira Kay
Pickwick Road
Kerry-Frances Bourne
Bubier Road
Editor Leigh Blander is an experienced TV, radio and print journalist.
