Marblehead School Committee Vacancy Applications Sought

MARBLEHEAD, MA — Marblehead has officially posted its opening on the School Committee with applications for a replacement due by the end of the month.

The vacancy, which occurred with Emily Barron's resignation after she said she discovered she had violated one of the town's conflict-of-interest protocols, will be filled through the town's annual town election in June. If the appointed candidate seeks to stay in the seat, he or she will have to run for the elected seat at that time.

Two copies of a cover letter and a detailed resume should be submitted by Nov. 30 at 4 p.m. under "School Committee Application" to the School Administration Office, Attention Ms. Sarah Fox (School Committee Chair), 9 Widger Road, Marblehead, MA, 01945 or Fox.Sarah@marbleheadschools.org, as well as to the Office of the Select Board, Attention Mr. Moses Grader, 188 Washington Street, Abbot Hall, Marblehead MA, 01945 or wileyk@marblehead.org.

Late applications will not be considered.

Applications will be reviewed with finalists selected and asked to interview at a joint Select Board and School Committee meeting on Dec. 7 at 7 p.m. at Abbot Hall where a replacement is expected to be chosen.

The School Committee was initially deadlocked on a way forward regarding Barron's vacancy — either to proceed with four members until the end of the term or choose a fifth member who would serve out Barron's term until the annual town election this spring — but Select Board Moses Grader determined that, per state law, the vacancy needs to be filled as quickly as possible.

"The Select Board and the School Committee will formulate questions together for the interview," Grader said at last week's Select Board meeting. "And then we'll conduct those interviews at the joint roll call meeting. So the process will be pretty straightforward and clear."

Fox had said that a recent precedent indicated that the School Committee could leave the position unfilled for the remaining months before the annual town election. The School Committee held a vote — which was deadlocked at 2-2 — on whether to fill the position or leave it open until the spring town vote.

Fox said at Thursday's School Committee meeting she was now prepared to work with the Select Board and fellow School Committee members to fill the seat in the expediated timeline in the best interest of the district.

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