Split Vote A Setback For Marblehead Public School Officials

MARBLEHEAD, MA — With the backing of the Marblehead Finance Committee and overwhelming support at the annual town meeting it was hard to blame school officials for being confident heading into Tuesday's townwide vote on a Proposition 2 1/2 tax override for a $3.1 million supplemental budget to support items they insisted for months were necessary to provide district students with an "exemplary education."

But as the vote totals finally came in on Question 2 very late Tuesday night they revealed a very different sentiment from residents than was apparent at many of the public forums as the request went down to defeat by more than a two-to-one margin.

Voters did decisively pass a Question 1 debt service exemption that will allow for town sidewalk and both town and school building repairs, as well as technology improvements that will assist the district, over the next five years. But funding for the long list of priorities that district administration and the School Committee meticulously laid out for residents — including free kindergarten, new curriculum and several personnel additions — were resoundingly rejected.

The harsh result left Marblehead School Committee Chair Sarah Gold looking both on the bright side as well as inward at what school officials may need to do differently with another override vote looming next year.

"While we are disappointed that our requests were not approved by the voters, we are grateful that people took the time to learn about Question 2 and weigh in at the ballot box," she told Patch late Wednesday afternoon. "We always welcome constructive feedback on how we can continue to improve our processes as we move forward.

"We are very appreciative that the voters approved Question 1. This will provide critical maintenance to building roofs and boilers, as well as smart panel technology to make our school buildings supportive for the 21st century."

The override would have added about $310.53 per year to the median single-family home bill of a Marblehead resident with a property assessed at $738,000. Property assessed at $400,000 would have incurred a $168.31 increase, while a $1 million home would have incurred a $420.77 increase.

Because Question 2 was a general override, that 4 percent increase would have been recurring in residents' tax bills each year.

Town meeting members had voted 264 to 73 in favor of the override vote.

"This budget benefits every single one of our students in each of our schools and at every level," Superintendent John Buckey told town meeting members. "As I have shared many times, these are the needs of our district, not wishes or wants."

Gold had argued the same — adding that delaying the deferred repairs and improvements would cause district schools to fall behind and only increase costs when the need became even more urgent.

"Four years ago when we had such an issue," Gold told the Finance Committee in March, "I stood up and I said that I know we need money. But I can't tell you where we need it. And when I can tell you I will come back and let you know.

"This is us coming back."

School Committee member Sarah Fox, who was re-elected on Tuesday, was emphatic as well and backed an even more ambitious override request during the budget process.

"None of these are hope-to-have items, wish-list items," Fox told the Finance Committee. "This is really a needs-based budget. This really reflects what is appropriate and what is needed to educate our students in the Marblehead Public School system.

"This is our children's education. If we don't fund what our administrators tell us needs to be funded then we are taking away the educational opportunities of the students in our town."

Only now officials will have to regroup going forward with the solace of the capital improvements from Question 1 but also while knowing that six months of impassioned pleas failed to find an audience among nearly two-thirds of Marblehead voters.

(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.)