Education - Marblehead Current

08 Jan

Marblehead Cultural Council announces winners of 2026 grants

Submitted ContentArt, Community Resources, Culture, Education, Entertainment, Environment, Local History, Local News

The Marblehead Cultural Council has awarded grants for 2026, including funding for live music, historical performances and programming, art installations, and workshops. “Our council enjoyed reviewing 20 broad and varied applications from members of our local arts and culture community,” said MCC Chair Jeanie Stahl. “We are pleased to announce that we have awarded nine inspirational grants to enliven, enrich and deepen Marblehead’s creative arts scene throughout 2026.” The MCC places an emphasis on new, emerging and established artists and programs in local venues, as…

05 Jan

Marblehead schools look to trim $1.7M from budget

Leigh BlanderEducation, Marblehead Public Schools, Top Stories

Marblehead Public Schools need to cut about $1.7 million to reach a level-funded budget for fiscal year 2027, Assistant Superintendent of Finance Mike Pfifferling announced at a Jan. 5 meeting. The town’s Finance Committee has directed all departments to prepare level-funded budgets for approval at Town Meeting in May. After consulting with the five school principals and other administrators, Pfifferling and Superintendent John Robidouix were able to identify “efficiencies” that will bring that budget gap down to about $879,000. Some of those efficiencies include: Not…

01 Jan

Turning the page to 2026: Resolutions from across Marblehead

Leigh BlanderAbbot Public Library, Art, Culture, Education, Entertainment, Environment, Food, Linda Bassett, Marblehead Public Schools, Public safety, Top Stories

The holiday celebrations may be over, but the spirit of renewal is just beginning in Marblehead. As 2026 unfolds, the Current spoke with town leaders, educators, artists and community members about the resolutions guiding their work, families and passions in the year ahead. Here’s a sampling of responses we received. Cynda Rohmer, Marblehead Arts Festival presidentDo you have any resolutions related to the Arts Festival? Stay organized! Advertise and talk up the new events in 2026. How about for yourself? Get back to the gym…

23 Dec

Why is Marblehead’s public school enrollment dropping? Superintendent offers more data

Leigh BlanderEducation, Top Stories

During the 2024-25 school year, 215 Marblehead students transferred out of the district — the highest number since the COVID-19 pandemic. Most, 83 students, enrolled in private schools in Massachusetts. Another 70 transferred to other public schools, including charter schools. Superintendent John Robidoux updated the School Committee with new enrollment data at a Dec. 18 meeting, addressing concerns about a steady decline over the past decade. Superintendent John Robidoux and Assistant Superintendent Julia Ferreira presented several slides related to enrollment data at a Dec. 18…

22 Dec

Marblehead Jewish day school fighting to survive

Leigh BlanderEducation, Religion, Top Stories

The North Shore's only Jewish day school — the Epstein Hillel School here in Marblehead — is facing a financial crisis and it's not clear whether it will survive. "After much deliberation, the board has made the difficult decision that starting in the 2026-27 academic year, our school is planning to move to a PreK through fifth-grade model," the EHS board wrote to families, announcing that it will stop offering grades six through eight. "Operating a PreK-5 school gives us the strongest chance to achieve…

17 Dec

SCHOOL COMMITTEE: December community update

Submitted ContentEducation, Local News, Marblehead Public Schools

Submitted By Melissa Clucas & Henry Gwazda, School Committee Communications Subcommittee MHS roof bid approvedFollowing a competitive bidding process, the School Committee unanimously approvedawarding the Marblehead High School roof and HVAC replacement contract to Homer Contracting Inc. for $8.97 million, about $2.1 million under budget. The bid includes fixed pricing for a full roof recovering along with HVAC, plumbing and electrical work. This marks a major step toward resolving longstanding building issues at MHS. Most construction is planned for the summer, with substantial completion targeted…

10 Dec

Students deliver on holiday spirit

Leigh BlanderEducation, Local News

Marblehead’s Devereux School embraced the holiday spirit beginning with its annual winter concert at the Performing Arts Center Dec. 3 when students from toddlers through fourth graders belted out classics like “Rudolph the Red-nosed Reindeer” and “Dreidel, Dreidel, Dreidel.” On Saturday, students marched in the Christmas Walk parade and then on Tuesday kindergarteners delivered 83 bags of donated groceries to the Marblehead Food Pantry. Devereux School students march in Marblehead's Christmas Walk Parade on Saturday, Dec. 6. COURTESY PHOTO Devereux School students perform in their…

25 Nov

MHS, Vets schedules changing after Thanksgiving break

Leigh BlanderEducation, Marblehead Public Schools, Top Stories

Marblehead Superintendent John Robidoux sent a message to families today, announcing that schedules at MHS and Veterans School are changing back to what they were last year. "At the beginning of the school year, our community was notified about some adjustments to the school schedules. These changes were intended to address the need for extended recess time in grades K-6," Robidoux wrote Tuesday. "It became apparent, however, that further discussion regarding the impact of the time change at the secondary level needed to occur. In…

25 Nov

’90s nostalgia unlocked as Charter School opens time capsule

Leigh BlanderEducation, Top Stories

In honor of its 30th anniversary, the Marblehead Community Charter Public School unearthed a time capsule buried by its first students in the spring of 1996 — and invited alumni back to see what they had left behind. On Nov. 21, anticipation grew as former students gathered around a deep hole in the school garden where the lockbox had been buried. They then sorted through the relics inside. There were Bon Jovi and Nirvana cassette tapes, a floppy disk, a brick-sized wireless phone, a bottle…

19 Nov

EDUCATION: MPS already on track as state pushes early literacy reforms

Akanksha GoyalEducation, Local News

Massachusetts lawmakers have advanced a sweeping early literacy bill aimed at addressing what they call a statewide literacy crisis. The legislation, which passed the House on Oct. 29 and now heads to the Senate, would require school districts to adopt evidence-based curricula and expand early screenings requirements for K-3 students. Marblehead is already ‘meeting the moment’ as the state pushes new literacy standards, according to Assistant Superintendent Julia Ferreira. COURTESY PHOTO While the measure could bring significant changes across the state, Marblehead educators say much…