MARBLEHEAD, MA — On a night in which dissension among high school staff members, parents and students involving accusations of antisemitic behavior and counter-charges that those accusations were fabricated dominated more than two hours of public comment and discussion, the Marblehead School Committee did wrap up the night with a substantial authorization that went much more quickly with a unanimous vote to offer John Robidoux a two-year contract as the district’s new interim superintendent.
(Also on Patch: Marblehead Antisemitic Accusations, Denials Spur Investigation Call)
Robidoux was chosen out of a field of nine semifinalists on June 6 on the night when School Committee members raised the prospect of a two-year deal instead of a one-year deal — which would necessitate another full superintendent search again next year for the third straight year.
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Robidoux had emerged as the lone finalist in recent weeks after fellow finalist Hingham Interim Director of Student Services Barbara Cataldo notified then-Chair Sarah Fox that she was staying in that district another year. School Committee members traveled to Swansea for a site visit with Robidoux and his colleagues then hosted him on an in-district day, before returning to open meeting on June 6 and unanimously supporting his appointment pending successful contract negotiations.
New School Committee Chair Jennifer Schaeffner noted that night that during the two years, the Committee could then decide whether to also enter negotiations with Robidoux as the permanent successor to John Buckey, who negotiated an abrupt departure from the job with the School Committee last summer.
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Schaeffner said during Thursday’s meeting that there is a provision in the two-year interim contract where the School Committee could choose to offer an extension of the contract by March 15, 2026 — though she noted that could also occur sooner.
Robidoux comes to Marblehead after 19 years in the Swansea School District — including the past eight as superintendent.
He arrives at a challenging time with the pending authorization of a third-party investigation into the antisemitic harassment claims the latest in a series of daunting issues facing the district — including a recently filed lawsuit naming the town, district and employees in the negligent restraint of a 9-year-old student this past fall, and ongoing negotiations between the district and the Marblehead Education Association on a new collective bargaining agreement where the sides appear significantly apart on wages and other issues with the contract set to expire on Aug. 31.
Teacher negotiations are set to resume in July.
(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.)
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