November 20, 2024

Good Morning Marblehead Families.

After another long day and evening of negotiations, we regret to report that no contract agreement was reached with the Marblehead Education Association. As a result, school will be canceled again today.

Late last night, the Marblehead Education Association presented the School Committee’s Bargaining Subcommittee with a modified offer. The new MEA proposal was delivered while they were conducting a press conference outside the high school. 

We will, of course, carefully review and consider the MEA’s 56-page proposal, which commingles changes and proposals for all five bargaining units.

We know how frustrating this must be for you and how consequential it is to your children to miss so much school. But we feel we must state that it was the union’s choice to engage in this illegal strike and it is their unwillingness to compromise that is dragging this on much longer than necessary.

The School Committee’s proposals reflect our desire to increase teacher salaries while staying within the fiscal constraints of the Town. Our proposal would bring average teacher salaries to near $100,000 and top scale salaries to near $109,000 for 184 days of work.

We simply do not have the revenue growth to sustain the increase sought by the MEA. We will not agree to a contract that would put our Town budget out of balance and necessitate a Proposition 2½ override that would add hundreds of dollars to the average property tax bill - provided the Town approves the override that would be necessary. 

The School Committee stands ready to compromise; we always have. We hope the day brings progress toward an agreement.

Best regards,

Jennifer Schaeffner - Committee Chair 

Sarah Fox - Committee Member

Thatcher Kezer - Town Administrator

Marblehead School Committee – Bargaining Subcommittee