The Marblehead School Committee held the statutorily required public hearing on participation in the state school choice program for the 2025–26 school year and received public comment before a motion was moved to opt the district out of school choice.

Superintendent staff explained that, under M.G.L. Chapter 76, Section 12(b), districts are presumed to participate in school choice unless they vote otherwise by June 1. The district memo recommended that Marblehead not participate for 2025–26. The superintendent’s staff summarized operational and fiscal implications: if the district accepts choice students, the state provides a $5,000 per-student reimbursement (through Chapter 70) rather than the full per-pupil funding Marblehead receives for resident students, and incoming choice students arrive without required records that would limit pre-admission screening for IEPs, disciplinary history or 504 plans.

Why it matters: Opting out would maintain current staffing and budget assumptions and avoid admitting students whose special-education or disciplinary histories are unknown at the time of application. Choosing to participate would create designated slots by grade, potentially require lotteries for oversubscribed grades, and change the district’s fiscal and planning calculus.

Public comment: The committee heard questions from residents and parents who asked why the draft motion differed from prior meeting requests and whether the committee had considered alternatives. One commentator urged postponing a vote if the committee had not made previously requested edits to the draft.

Motion and roll-call: A motion was moved to not participate in the school choice program for 2025–26 and a second was recorded. At roll-call the transcript records members speaking as follows: Allison Taylor said “Not in favor,” Ryan Oda said “Not in favor,” Sarah Fox said “in favor,” and Chair Jen Schaffner said “in favor.” The transcript does not contain a clear final tally or a statement from the chair announcing the result.

Committee comments: Members discussed the trade-offs between widening access and the district’s fiscal and operational readiness. The superintendent noted historical practice: Marblehead has not previously participated in school choice and that existing collective bargaining changes this year allowed more units to bring students on a space-available basis.

Next steps: The hearing was closed at 6:52 p.m. The transcript does not record a final formal announcement of the committee’s action on the motion; the committee’s published minutes or the district clerk’s official record should be consulted for the final vote outcome.