Marblehead School Committee Sets Executive Session On Superintendent

MARBLEHEAD, MA — The Marblehead School Committee has set a Monday morning meeting behind closed doors to discuss the future of Superintendent John Buckey with the district after canceling Wednesday night’s open meeting that drew more than 250 viewers to Zoom and lasted less than one minute.

The meeting’s agenda states that the School Committee will meet to “conduct strategy sessions in preparation for negotiation with non-union members (Superintendent).”

The executive session means that the discussions will not be viewable by the public.

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The School Committee was to discuss and possibly vote on an “early termination clause” in Buckey’s contract on Wednesday before Chair Sarah Fox said “a last-minute communication with counsel” advised her to immediately adjourn the meeting one minute after it began.

(Also on Patch: Marblehead Superintendent ‘Termination’ Meeting Abruptly Canceled)

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The School Committee has yet to discuss publicly its intentions when it comes to Buckey and the possible reasons for terminating his contract, which extends through 2025.

The uncertainty comes following a second straight failed tax override to fully fund the school district and a townwide vote in which former School Committee Chair Sarah Gold lost her seat on the committee while former Glover School Principal Brian Ota, whose contract was not renewed by Buckey last summer, and former School Committee member Jenn Schaeffner were elected to the committee.

Tom Mathers, who was appointed to the School Committee to fill out the remainder of a term this past winter, did not run for re-election this spring.

Buckey was graded as “proficient” during his most recent evaluation and appeared to clash with some committee members in the wake of the latest failed override vote when he said the district should not look for other means to restore positions that were said to be on the chopping block should the override not pass.

The night that his evaluation was publicly approved unanimously, Buckey read a statement saying that his salary should be frozen for the next year given the town’s financial predicament but gave no indication that he was considering a resignation or expected to be relieved of his duties should the override fail to pass.

“While I appreciate any efforts on my behalf for a contract extension and/or pay increase, I say now is not the time,” Buckey said during the June 15 meeting ahead of the failed override vote on June 20. “With the town finances, as stretched as they are, I believe a salary freeze for the superintendent is appropriate and I will not accept a pay increase in the next fiscal year.”

(Scott Souza is a Patch field editor covering Beverly, Danvers, Marblehead, Peabody, Salem and Swampscott. He can be reached at [email protected]. Twitter: @Scott_Souza.)

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