Marblehead Schools Debate Early Start To 2025-26 School Year

MARBLEHEAD, MA — The Marblehead School Committee is seeking parent and family feedback before voting on a school calendar for the upcoming year that would have students and staff return to the classrooms before Labor Day.

The proposal would bring students back for Thursday and Friday before a brief Labor Day break.

Superintendent John Robidoux said the change would alleviate calendar pressures that could otherwise have students going to school late in June for a second straight year after this year's teacher strike is poised to push the last day of school into the final days of the month despite lost make-up vacation days in February and April.

But School Committee members Sarah Fox and Alison Taylor pushed pause on the plan during the last School Committee meeting — arguing that after what could be a punishing final six months of this school year with 10 makeup days necessary from the November strike, it is not the time to shorten the summer break with Labor Day already early in the calendar on Sept. 2.

"It's going to be a hard spring," Fox said. "It's a long run straight through with no breaks. With no snow days, they get out late. The probability of us getting no snow days is probably slim and none so that would be pushing (the last day of school) even further.

"And then we bring them back soon. So if there is any summer that I want to let the staff and students have until after Labor Day it would be this year."

A vote on the final calendar was postponed at last Wednesday's School Committee to allow more feedback on the potential change with a vote now slated for next week's meeting.

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