Sarah Fox
- Former two-term School Committee member; sat on several subcommittees, including budget
Do you support the override this June? Which tier will you vote for and why?
“Having a vast amount of budgeting experience, I believe Marblehead’s tax levy capacity needs to grow as it has not kept pace with costs such as health insurance, contractual increases and other fixed costs. I continue to dig into the publicly available information on what is specifically funded in each tier to better understand how each tier provides for the citizens of Marblehead.
I am troubled by what appears to have been a rushed process to develop the override rather than the proactive, thoughtful approach that I believe should have occurred, given how this structural deficit has been discussed at length for years. I will be attending available public forums and digging into available documents as they continue to become available so I can make an educated decision on June 9 on what will best serve the students and citizens of Marblehead.”
If you’re elected, what are your top three goals for Marblehead schools during your term?
“If elected, my primary goal would be to continue the work I previously started to bring further transparency and accountability to the budgeting process, which has been poorly presented on the town level. I am excited about the opportunity to return to student-focused, fact-based budget discussions to produce a zero-based budget that balances fiscal accountability with educational needs.
Another goal would be to establish clearer measurability of the district-wide goals and align them with budget drivers so the public can measure progress and clearly see the financial plans in advance.
Finally, I would like to see more families returning to the Marblehead Public Schools, particularly the ones who have chosen to leave the district in the last year.”
What can the School Committee do to reverse the MPS enrollment drop and bring more kids back into the public schools?
“A careful analysis needs to occur to determine at what grade levels we are losing the most students versus how many families are deciding to find alternatives to the Marblehead Public Schools from the start of their children’s educational journey.
As I have advocated for in the past, I believe the Marblehead schools should be doing exit surveys with any family choosing to leave the Marblehead Public Schools to better understand what is driving families to leave as a first step to fixing the problem.
I am committed to focusing on meeting student needs to maximize student achievement, keeping in mind that success looks different for each student. Once we can re-establish a student-focused approach to all decision making at the School Committee level, I believe enrollment will start to stabilize.”
Do you feel the district’s budget is right-sized, given the cuts made in the fiscal year 2027 budget? If not, what changes do you recommend?
“Having served previously as chair of the School Budget Subcommittee, I have a very deep understanding of not only the Marblehead school budget but also of the grants and revolving funds that are used to help reduce the reliance of the school budget on taxpayer dollars. Marblehead schools have seen a significant decline in enrollment, including a rather steep decline in the last 10 months which must be addressed.
In order to establish the appropriate budget, the School Committee must work collaboratively towards a zero-based budget. I am committed to asking the administration to perform a detailed analysis of the needs of our current student body and develop a budget that is based on the needs of students rather than simply rolling over what may currently exist.”
In a time of tight budget constraints, at least four districts in Massachusetts have cut DEI initiatives or positions, according to a recent story in CommonWealth Beacon. Should such initiatives or positions be a priority in the Marblehead Public Schools budget process? Why or why not?
“The Education Reform Act, which clearly establishes the purview of the School Committee versus the administration, established that the legal role of a School Committee member is to oversee the school budget, hire, evaluate and supervise the superintendent, and set school district policy. Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education sets the educational frameworks for what must be taught at each grade level, and the superintendent oversees the day-to-day implementation of how to best meet the requirements set forth by DESE. It is not the legal role of a School Committee in Massachusetts to establish the educational frameworks of what students learn. I have always been committed to knowing my purview as a School Committee member and adhering to that rather than forcing any personal agenda.”
