Marblehead Public School orchestra musicians presented an impressive All Strings concert March 31, featuring students in grades four through 12. All the music performed had a space theme and included pieces "A Million Miles Away” by Francis Caravella and “Stargazers” by Tanner Otto. Also during the hour-long concert, graduating musicians were honored, including Lucas Rosen, Katie Kee, Andrew Niu, Emily Levine, Isabella Pricher and Jacob Soule. COURTESY PHOTOS / TANYA BRAGANTI
The $12 million roof recovering at Marblehead High School will shift into a higher gear over April vacation, when crews begin early work on the building. “Most of the work will be done over nine weeks of summer,” Leena Long of design and architecture firm Left Field said at an April 2 meeting of the MHS Roof Subcommittee. “As soon as the students are done, the contractor will mobilize at the site and start ceiling removal in classrooms.” Early work on the Marblehead High School…
Veteran girls tennis preps for more success in 2026 Tracy Ackerman is only days away from beginning her 10th season as the Marblehead High girls tennis coach. Rival Masco will provide the competition in Chieftain country on Monday, April 6, at 4 p.m. The Magicians will follow that up with the home opener four days later on April 10 against non-league Hamilton-Wenham at the same time. Ackerman’s goals for this season remain the same, and it’s as simple as contending for the Northeastern Conference championship,…
The Marblehead Magicians varsity softball team opened the season with a dominant 11-3 win over the Lynnfield Pioneers on Tuesday afternoon. “It was a great win,” said Magicians head coach, Johnny Gold. “I’m really happy with the way we hit the ball. We slammed it all over the field. It was cold, which is tough for pitchers, but Tessa (Francis) did a great job throwing.” Catcher Isabel Mortensen opened the hit column with a double to left field on the second pitch of the game.…
Just hours after the School Committee approved a $47,620,287 fiscal 2027 budget, the Select Board finalized the town’s full spending plan — including schools — at $122,762,030. The final budget includes 20 municipal staff cuts (not including educators), according to Town Administrator Thatcher Kezer. Here's the list of department budgets greenlighted by the Select Board Friday. FY2027 SCHEDULE FOR MOTIONSDownload The Select Board approved the spending plan in a 3-1 vote, with member Jim Zisson the lone dissenter. Zisson said he visited several town buildings…
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…
Assistant Superintendent for Finance and Operations Mike Pfifflering told the Current Thursday morning that he will be staying in Marblehead. He was not chosen for a similar position at Whittier Tech in Haverhill. "I am not surprised nor disappointed," Pfifferling wrote in an email. "I really enjoy my role with the Marblehead Public Schools and the people of Marblehead. I have been deeply moved by the many individuals who have reached out to me over the past few days with their kind words and unwavering support." He added:…
School Committee members Jenn Schaeffner and Melissa Clucas will bring two different budget recommendations to their colleagues Friday, after a testy meeting with Finance Committee members on Wednesday. At issue: how much financial cushion should be built into the school district’s health insurance costs. During a tense meeting of the School Committee’s budget subcommittee, officials agreed they are largely aligned on the underlying numbers for employee benefits — but sharply disagreed over whether hundreds of thousands of dollars set aside as a “buffer” should remain…
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)…
As Marblehead confronts a $7.7 million budget deficit for fiscal 2027, residents concerned about deep cuts to schools and town services have launched a grassroots ballot question committee called For Marblehead. The group will “advocate for sustainable funding, responsible policies and strong civic leadership in support of the town’s schools, services and infrastructure,” according to a press release. For Marblehead is pushing for a “comprehensive, forward-looking” override that will “provide meaningful support across town departments.” It is not seeking a “menu approach” override that would…
