Editor Leigh Blander and reporter Akanksha Goyal contributed reporting to this article.
The Select Board is expected to meet Wednesday, April 15, to review a more detailed presentation of a tiered proposal to override Proposition 2 1/2 — $9 million, $12 million and $15 million — and what cuts each tier would restore.
Marblehead faces a $7.7 million deficit for fiscal year 2027. The Select Board and Finance Committee have approved a proposed $123 million budget that includes program cuts and about 40 layoffs.
The override, which would permanently increase Marblehead’s tax base, includes funding for both town departments and schools.
It’s about tiers
At Town Meeting, beginning May 4, voters will decide whether to give the Select Board approval to place an override of up to $15 million on the June 9 election ballot. The override would be presented to voters in three tiers.
At the June election, the most expensive tier that receives a majority vote — if any — would prevail.
This is the first time Marblehead has proposed a tiered override. Several residents spoke at an April 8 meeting, asking questions and expressing concerns.
“I’m the average citizen, and I look at that and this thing, and I think it’s confusing,” said Ginny O’Brien.
To illustrate the potential tax impact of each of the three tiers, Kezer and Benjamin used the average single-family home value in Marblehead ($1.3 million).
Tier 1
Tier 1 would restore many of the cuts in the town’s proposed fiscal year 2027 budget, including some staff positions at Abbot Library, the Council on Aging, Planning and Community Development, and Recreation and Parks.
The estimated annual impact on the tax bill for the owner of a $1.3 million home would be:
Year 1: $167.90
Year 2: $804.93
Year 3: $1,186.68
Tier 2
Tier 2 would build on Tier 1 by restoring additional cuts and reinvesting in programs that have seen reductions in recent years. Its impact on the same homeowner would be:
Year 1: $361.62
Year 2: $1,132.65
Year 3: $1,587.37
Tier 3
Tier 3 would build on the first two tiers and include additional investments in reserves and capital funds. Its impact would be:
Year 1: $555.35
Year 2: $1,369.97
Year 3: $1,985.39
A second override for trash
The Select Board is also asking voters to consider a second override to cover rising trash costs. Voters will be asked to approve a $2,298,575 override spread over three years. If the override fails, residents would instead be charged an annual trash fee.
School cuts
On April 9, the School Committee approved a $47.6 million budget that includes about $3.1 million in cuts.
Across the schools, adjustments include reductions in teaching and support staff, changes to clerical roles, elimination of certain stipends and part-time positions, and removal of vacant positions, totaling 22 positions districtwide. In some cases, positions are being shifted to grant funding or reallocated across schools to preserve services.
“When we talk about 22 positions, 11 of them are vacant… so it may not be a total reduction in force,” Pfifflering said.
Superintendent John Robidoux emphasized that many of the staffing changes remain in flux as administrators work to minimize layoffs through reassignment and attrition.
“It’s not as simple as just cutting these positions,” he said, noting that staffing changes depend on licensing, grade levels and contractual requirements.
The reductions also include holding several spending categories flat, such as classroom supplies, along with smaller savings in areas such as equipment, professional development and contract services.
Robidoux said principals and district leaders had been involved throughout the budget process and helped identify where reductions would have the least impact.
“We’ve had them give us feedback as to where those reductions would be least impactful in their buildings,” he said.
He added that the district has also been in regular communication with union leadership as the reductions have taken shape.
“I’ve been meeting with the union presidents every other week,” Robidoux said. “I don’t think most of this is a surprise to them.”
While some details may continue to shift as discussions continue with principals and staff, he said school leaders are driving core decisions.
“The principals have been very involved, and they are the ones driving a lot of the discussions at the school-based level,” Robidoux said. “I’m very comfortable with how this process has unfolded.”
Despite the scale of the cuts, officials said the goal has been to preserve core instructional services while responding to rising fixed costs and the town’s broader budget constraints.
Following the budget vote, the committee approved three school-specific override tiers, which would be combined with the town’s broader override proposal and ultimately presented to voters.
The tiers total $6.2 million, $7.2 million and $8.5 million over three years, with each level building on the previous one. These amounts had already been incorporated into the $9 million, $12 million and $15 million override tiers announced at the Select Board meeting.
All three tiers are designed to take effect beginning in fiscal year 2028, with no additional school funding proposed for fiscal year 2027.
Tier 1: $6.2 million over three years
The first tier focuses on maintaining existing obligations and preventing further cuts:
• fund contractual salary increases for all staff
• restore special education out-of-district tuition to required levels
• shift positions currently funded through revolving accounts back into the general fund
Tier 2: $7.2 million over three years
The second tier builds on Tier 1 and adds:
• a multi-year technology lease to fund student devices and software
• elimination of the full-day kindergarten fee
Tier 3: $8.5 million over three years
The third tier includes Tiers 1 and 2 and adds longer-term investments:
• restoration of curriculum and professional development funding
• creation of an in-district special education program for students ages 18 to 22
• establishment of a dedicated capital fund for school buildings
Throughout the discussion, administrators stressed that the override is intended to stabilize the district’s finances and maintain existing services rather than expand programming.
The school funding levels were developed through a working group that included the Finance Committee, Select Board and town administration and were brought forward by district officials as part of that process.
The School Committee also approved a memorandum of understanding committing to not proposing another general override until fiscal year 2030 if any override tier passes in June. The Select Board is expected to vote on the MOU on April 15.
