The Marblehead School Committee abruptly called off a vote Wednesday night on the early termination of Superintendent John Buckey’s contract, just one month after giving Buckey a “proficient” performance review.
The virtual meeting lasted less than a minute, with School Committee Chair Sarah Fox announcing the meeting would no longer move forward. In a statement to the Globe on Thursday, Fox said she was advised by legal counsel minutes prior to the scheduled start of the meeting to immediately adjourn and schedule a closed-door executive session.
“As soon as more information is available, we will release a statement,” Fox said.
The School Committee has not publicly indicated why it was seeking to vote on the early termination clause of Buckey’s initial three-year contract, which says the committee can dismiss the superintendent “at any time on or prior to August 31, 2022 without cause” as long as he is given 100 days’ notice and a $92,500 payout.
Buckey was hired as superintendent of Marblehead Public Schools, a coastal suburban district of about 2,600 students, in February 2020, with a first-year salary of $185,000. In July 2021, the School Committee voted 4 to 1 to extend his contract for another two years. Only Fox, the current chair, opposed the extension.
Michael Long, Buckey’s attorney, said his client “has never been told what the cause of [the School Committee’s] proposed action is.” Early termination provisions in Massachusetts superintendent contracts, he added, are also very rare.
“In the now 43 years of representing school superintendents, I’ve been involved in fewer than five cases where a committee has tried to act on unilateral termination language in a contract,” Long said.
In June, the School Committee approved a “proficient” performance evaluation for Buckey, praising his “dedication to the district” and transparency involving the budget. The committee dinged Buckey for his “engagement with critics.”
“Dr. Buckey needs to ensure that he ... continues to lead proactively rather than reactively,” the review said.
But later that month, Marblehead residents elected two new School Committee members — Jennifer Schaeffner, founder of the local news website Marblehead Beacon, and Brian Ota, former principal of the district’s Glover Elementary School. Voters also rejected a $2.5 million tax override, resulting in 33 cuts to school programs and personnel, including freshmen sports and middle school language programs.
Ota had previously filed a complaint against Buckey with the Massachusetts Commission Against Discrimination, according the Marblehead Current, after his contract as Glover’s principal was not renewed. Ota excused himself from last Friday’s executive session discussing Buckey’s employment, the Current said.
“I think there’s been a lack of transparency,” said Mimi Lamey, a parent of Marblehead student, about the School Committee’s handling of Buckey’s contract.
Tom Scott, executive director of the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents, noted Marblehead Public Schools has endured high leadership turnover in recent years. Future Marblehead superintendent candidates may have “second thoughts” about working for the district, he said, due to the School Committee’s treatment of Buckey.
“I just think that the way that they’re handling this without giving any cause, doing it abruptly the way they are, doing it at a time when they can probably least afford the disruption to the system, I scratch my head,” Scott said.
The School Committee will convene in executive session Monday morning over Zoom to “conduct strategy sessions in preparation for negotiations” with the superintendent, according to the meeting notice. There is no scheduled vote
Deanna Pan can be reached at deanna.pan@globe.com. Follow her @DDpan.