Marblehead Public Schools has lost 26 students since the beginning of the school year, bringing enrollment to 2,363 as of Oct. 12, as district leaders look for ways to attract and retain families and strengthen academic performance. The district began the 2026-27 school year with 2,389 students enrolled in its five schools. By Oct. 12, that number had dropped to 2,363. Of the 26 students who left, nine transferred to private schools, 11 moved to other Massachusetts public schools, four moved out of state or…
Hundreds of people gathered at Piper Field Sunday night for a vigil in honor of Marblehead High School senior and football co-captain Owen Coyne, who died Thursday night after suffering a brain hemorrhage. About 150 of Owen’s teammates, friends and family members formed a tight huddle at midfield. At the center was a simple memorial: Owen’s No. 18 football jersey, surrounded by battery-operated candles and glow sticks. Coyne’s friend, Max Kane, told the Current what was happening in that huddle. “We began with some words…
To much of Marblehead, Owen Coyne was a football captain, a three-sport athlete, stellar student and sailing instructor. To 8-year-old Ella, he was the “very nice” big brother who took her on bike rides. “And Ella was his biggest fan,” said their mother, Angela Paradise. On Sunday, as the Coyne family faced the unimaginable first days without Owen, some of his closest friends arrived at their home to pick up Ella and take her apple picking. Owen Coyne was 17 years old and co-captain of…
Angela Paradise, whose son Owen Coyne died, has written a tribute to Coyne and asked the Current to share it. Coyne was a Marblehead High School senior and three-sport athlete. He died of a hemorrhage not caused by an impact, according to Paradise. Here is Paradise’s message: “It is with profound sadness and indescribable grief that we share that Owen passed away after a sudden brain hemorrhage. Owen (Owie to his family, OC to his friends, teammates and coaches ) was the sweetest soul you’ll…
Superintendent John Robidoux has announced the death of Marblehead High School senior and three-sport athlete Owen Coyne. Counselors are available at the high school Friday until 7 p.m., as well as Saturday and Sunday, noon-3 p.m. Robidoux shared a message from Coyne’s parents Angela Paradise, Brian Coyne and siblings Grady, Landon and Ella. Owen Coyne, a co-captain of the MHS football team, has died. “It is with broken hearts and unimaginable sadness that we share that our beloved Owen has passed away,” the family writes.…
Marblehead Public Schools has launched a new discrimination reporting system designed to give students, staff and community members an easier way to report incidents — and help administrators identify patterns that could require a broader response. “That’s a form we created to capture any form of discrimination that a student, staff or community member has been exposed to,” Superintendent John Robidoux announced at an Oct. 1 School Committee meeting. Robidoux said the new online form grew out of the district’s anti-discrimination committee and will be…
Marblehead High School’s newly installed roof sprang 5-6 small leaks during the recent nor’easter, while the new roof at the Veterans School also allowed a small amount of water into that building, Assistant Superintendent Mike Pfifferling said Wednesday. Pfifferling told the School Committee’s Facilities Subcommittee Sept. 30 that crews are addressing the problems, which he characterized as “minor.” At MHS, Pfiffering said some of the leaks were traced to roof drains, including one contractors already knew would need additional work. Five or six leaks appeared…
The School Committee’s Facilities Subcommittee voted Wednesday to recommend turning the former Eveleth School property to the town, concluding that declining enrollment and available space in existing schools make it unlikely the district will need the building in the foreseeable future. The full School Committee acknowledged the recommendation at its Oct. 1 meeting and Chair Kate Schmeckpeper said the issue will be placed on an upcoming agenda. Any transfer would require additional steps, including a Town Meeting vote. Marblehead's former Eveleth School was built in…
Marblehead Public Schools is sticking with its current cellphone rules for now, while administrators monitor how well those rules are working and state lawmakers consider broader restrictions. Superintendent John Robidoux told the School Committee last week that students in kindergarten through eighth grade must keep phones “off and away” throughout the school day. Administrators are also addressing smartwatches, Meta smart glasses and other connected devices. At Marblehead High School, students can access their phones between classes and during lunch, but not during instructional time. Each…
Marblehead students continued to outperform their counterparts statewide on most measures of the 2026 MCAS, but the results show a mixed picture — with significant gains in science and eighth-grade math offset by declines in Grade 10 English and science. The 2026 results, released publicly by the Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education Tuesday, show that 58% of Marblehead students in grades 3-8 met or exceeded expectations in English language arts, while 60% did so in math and 63% in science. Those figures compare…
