Marblehead eyes school collaboration with several towns

MARBLEHEAD – With local aid likely to be cut back next year, Marblehead is exploring forms of school regionalization with Swampscott, Beverly, Peabody, Gloucester, Salem and probably Danvers.The School Committee voted unanimously to join the other communities in applying for a state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education grant. Salem Mayor Kimberly Driscoll is spearheading the application, which was forwarded to DESE on the Friday before Thanksgiving.Local committee members expressed concern about the word “regionalization” when they received Mayor Driscoll’s letter, but the lure of budget savings in what is expected to be a tough year was too strong for them to reject the idea.School Committee Chair Amy Drinker queried Driscoll about the proposal and was told that Driscoll contacted two Department of Education representatives asking about the wording.”Both of (them) (said) that the grant could be used to explore collaboration opportunities and that DOE was trying to be flexible in working with interested school districts,” Driscoll said.With that assurance that the grant could be used for collaboration – a word the Marblehead committee members felt more comfortable with – the committee voted to support the application.”We’re not committing to anything. We’re just looking at ideas to save money,” said committee member James Dearborn.”We are certainly interested in stretching our finite resources,” Drinker said.