Marshfield School Committee Approves Calendar Shift, Accepts $114,000 Education Foundation Grant

MARSHFIELD — June 9, 2026 — Marshfield School Committee reorganizes, honors 23 retirees, and shifts student start day to avoid election conflict. At its June 9 meeting, the committee unanimously re-elected Sean Costello as chair and elected Lauren Dargan as vice chair 3-0, then recognized 23 retirees representing 446 combined years of district service — led by custodian James Sampson's 43 years at Furnacebrook Middle School. The committee voted 4-0 to accept a $114,016.77 grant from the Marshfield Education Foundation, which received 33 applications totaling roughly $250,000 in requests from educators. Superintendent Dr. Patrick Sullivan recommended pushing the student first day from September 1 to September 2 because September 1 falls on the state primary election day, telling the board "I can't support having school when we have primary." The calendar amendment passed unanimously, with the board directing Sullivan to coordinate immediately with the town clerk to manage parking and building access. Marshfield High School Principal Settner and Director of Guidance Karen Goff reported that 87 percent of students taking AP exams this year earned qualifying scores of three or higher, and 84 percent of students participate in at least one athletic program.