OVErride FAQ

1. Will we need an override now that our contract is settled?

Yes, Marblehead residents will need to pass an override to adequately fund our school system. On November 4th, Town Manager Thatcher Kezer, along with School Committee Members Jenn Schaeffner and Sarah Fox, acknowledged that Marblehead Public Schools routinely ranks in the top 50 of the state, which is a testament to our exceptional staff and their ability to make do with chronic underfunding. But with staff turnover reaching levels that have never been seen before in our town, something has to change.

Our 2024 tax rate is 45th out of 352 municipalities in the state at $8.96 per thousand dollars of value. Even if the School Committee's questionable math and "doomsday" scenario of a 14% override were necessary, that would bring our tax rate to $10.21 per thousand dollars of value, or 70th lowest in the Commonwealth.

For reference, School Committee Chair Jenn Schaeffner has publicly stated that both Hingham and Wayland are districts that are good comparisons for us. Hingham's tax rate is $10.85 per thousand dollars of value, and Wayland's is $15.52 per thousand dollars of value.

Our calculations for the total cost to the average household in Marblehead to fund the Unit A (teacher unit) contract are as follows:

This calculation is our best estimate, as some data is not available. It assumes there was no new growth in FY25 and that taxes were raised by 2.5%. It also assumes the assessed value did not increase. (0% change).

As we look to comparable communities, the Current provided some helpful graphics such as the one below. 

2. Why is this happening?

For many years, our district has suffered through systematic underfunding of our school system. This has led to catastrophic staff turnover rates, and our students are the ones who are bearing the brunt of this negligence. Last year, the Marblehead School Committee failed to sound the alarm about how relying on cash reserves rather than creating necessary and sustainable budgets for our schools would trigger a crisis.

The Marblehead School Committee has refused to respond to numerous common sense proposals that have $0 cost, or near $0 cost. Here are just some of the $0 cost issues they are refusing…

• Access to the existing Unit A sick bank for tutors, paraprofessional, and custodians facing long term illness

• Job security for tutors and paraprofessionals

• Bereavement leave for pregnancy loss

• The creation of a school safety task force which creates transparency and accountability for the conditions our students face in their classrooms

• 30 minutes of recess and lunch to support the healthy development of our youngest learners

• Custodians receiving Christmas Eve as a paid holiday, which all other town custodians are granted

3. How much will it cost me? 

Use these example assessed home values to see what the difference in cost between the Marblehead Education Association's Teacher wage offer and that of the School Committee.