'Very Positive': Marblehead To Invite Interim Superintendent Candidate For Day-In-District

MARBLEHEAD, MA — The Marblehead School Committee voted Tuesday night to bring Swansea Public Schools Superintendent John Robidoux to town for a day-in-district after what was described as a "very positive" trip to Swansea as part of the vetting process for the lone finalist candidate to be the next interim superintendent.

School Committee Chair Sarah Fox said she would look to schedule that visit on Monday with multiple chances for community members and families to meet Robidoux as well as a meeting with staff after school.

She said the School Committee would then issue another feedback survey with results reviewed at the next School Committee meeting on June 6.

Both Fox and School Committee member Jenn Schaeffner said Robidoux appeared to enjoy great respect and popularity in Swansea with those spoken to praising his willingness to be supportive without micro-managing and his focus on inclusiveness.

"We don't hear complaints right now," Fox said of one piece of feedback in Swansea. "I left there feeling very comfortable."

Schaeffner said the feedback from Swansea staff was "very positive" and appeared to be "very genuine."

Robidoux has served as the superintendent of Swansea Public Schools since 2016 and has worked in that district since 2006. He told the School Committee in that town in the fall he would not seek a new contract when his contract expired at the end of this current school year.

"When (Al Williams) and I met with the School Committee person and the principal about John we asked a pointed question," School Committee member Brian Ota said. "Why after all these years would he resign before the end of the year? What happened? And they were very candid. The School Committee person had been on three terms and he said that the last couple of people who had gotten elected, for whatever reason, just kept picking fights with him over everything. And it got to the point where he was constantly trying to justify himself to the newcomers.

"Then he finally said, after all these years, he didn't need that anymore."

Ota said the School Committee members told them they had always had a good working relationship with Robidoux before the recent elections.

"So they gave a pretty plausible explanation of what happened."

Fox said the other finalist candidate who chose to withdraw from consideration, Hingham Interim Director of Student Services Barbara Cataldo, it was announced is actually staying in that district for the 2024-25 school year.

(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.)