Education - Marblehead Current

31 Mar

SHARK TANK: Students pitch projects aimed at making a difference

Leigh BlanderEducation

Last month, eighth graders at the Marblehead Community Charter Public School pitched community service learning projects to a panel of judges and fielded questions about their plans. The school calls it “Shark Week,” inspired by the TV show “Shark Tank,” where entrepreneurs pitch business ideas to investors. The Current had the honor of sitting on a panel of judges. The projects tackled a range of pressing local issues, including food insecurity, teen mental health, contamination in Redd’s Pond, installing solar panels at MCCPS, animal testing…

30 Mar

Headlight: April 1, 2026

Headlight StaffEducation, Headlight

Check out the latest issue of Marblehead High School’s Headlight. In this edition: Freshmen London Perlow and Mary Prindiville write about how students can get involved with the Marblehead Festival of Arts. Senior Will Pelliciotti discusses the start of the Major League Baseball season. Headlight April 1, 2026 Issue (1)Download

30 Mar

Headlight: March 25, 2026

Headlight StaffEducation, Headlight

Check out the latest issue of Marblehead High School’s Headlight. In this edition: Assistant Editor Anna Cruikshank recounts one of her "favorite high school memories yet," the Sophomore Semi at Tupper Manor. Editor-In-Chief Grey Collins, a senior, reports on a daylong service project members of the Social Studies Honors Society participated in at a warehouse that serves the organization Cradles to Crayons. Headlight March 25, 2026 - B (21 inches)-1Download

27 Mar

Schools’ new assignment: Cut another $1.5M and define override requests

Leigh BlanderEducation, Marblehead Public Schools, Top Stories

The School Committee Friday morning unanimously approved a $47,620,287 budget for fiscal 2027 (including some disputed benefit funds) that will require an additional $1.5 million in cuts. That is on top of to two earlier rounds of cuts of $2.6 million and $1.7 million. The committee asked Superintendent John Robidoux and Assistant Superintendent Mike Pfifferling to make the new cuts while simultaneously developing a multi-year, three-tier override proposal that could shape the district’s finances for the next several years. "I hate the idea of coming…

24 Mar

NEW: School budget cuts, override on agenda at two meetings this week

Aleka KroitzshEducation, Marblehead Public Schools, Top Stories

NEW on March 24: The School Committee's budget subcommittee will meet virtually Wednesday at 1:30 p.m. to try again to determine whether the $1.5 million additional cuts requested by the town represent an accurate number. The public can join HERE. Public comment is on the agenda. Then on Friday, the School Committee will meet at 10 a.m. to vote on its final budget and a possible override request, according to the agenda. The meeting will take place at the Mary Alley Municipal Building (lower level)…

22 Mar

News in brief: MHS freshman picks up top honor and more

Leigh BlanderArt, Business, Community Resources, Education, Environment, Local News

The Current welcomes 150–200-word submissions to News in Brief. Send yours to lblander@marbleheadnews.org.By Leigh Blander MHS freshman off to Nashville Marblehead High School freshman Dounia Peters-Abbadi recently had a successful trip to the Business Professionals of America 60th State Leadership Conference in Southbridge — on multiple fronts. Dounia Peters-Abbadi COURTESY PHOTO Peters-Abbadi received a Massachusetts Merit Scholar Award and finished in the top three for her event, “Human Resources Management,” which means she will compete at BPA’s national conference in Nashville in May. Even though…

16 Mar

Headlight: March 18, 2026

Headlight StaffEducation, Headlight

Check out the latest issue of Marblehead High School’s Headlight. In this edition: Social Media Manager Anna Baughman, a junior, offers a preview of Community Art Night Friday, March 20, 6-7:30 p.m. at MHS, sponsored by the National Art Honor Society. All are welcome. Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for students (children under 6 free). Assistant Editor Anna Cruikshank, a sophomore, explains "why girls should wrestle." Assistant Editor Evan Eisen, a senior, argues, "There is no reason why students shouldn't do Senior Project." Headlight…

13 Mar

School Committee begins weighing override to restore budget cuts

Leigh BlanderEducation, Marblehead Public Schools, Top Stories

At its March 12 meeting, the Marblehead School Committee began discussing override options to help restore deep budget cuts planned for fiscal 2027. As directed by the town, the district delivered a level-funded budget that includes more than a dozen staff layoffs. Now the town is requesting an additional $1.5 million in cuts. “I’m not interested in backing a band-aid situation,” School Committee member Melissa Clucas said about an override. “I’m interested in backing something that structurally fixes the problem.” Select Board Chair Dan Fox…

10 Mar

Town administrator to reveal override scenarios Wednesday

Leigh BlanderAbbot Public Library, Business, Education, Health, Marblehead Public Schools, Municipal Matters, Top Stories

Much-anticipated figures are now in from Group Insurance Commission, the state-backed insurance plan the town uses to purchase employees’ health insurance. The increase for fiscal year 2027 will be 11%, down from the 15% feared earlier but not as low as recently hoped. “Pretty much the same,” Marblehead Finance Director Aleesha Benjamin wrote in an email to the Current Saturday night about the final impact. “No real change.” That means the town’s projected $7.7 million deficit will likely not decrease significantly. Town Administrator Thatcher Kezer…

09 Mar

Headlight: March 11, 2026

Headlight StaffEducation, Headlight

Check out the latest issue of Marblehead High School’s Headlight. In this edition: Assistant Editor Georgia Marshall, a junior, looks back on "The Mender," which earned four MHS students accolades in the Massachusetts Educational Theater Guild drama festival. Also noted is the Junior Class Auction, with bidding on over 100 items set to wrap up by the end of the week. Headlight March 11th, 2026Download