Marlborough School Committee Hears Student Concerns on Phones, Bathrooms, and Gun Violence

MARLBOROUGH -- October 8, 2024, Marlborough School Committee hears student safety concerns and faces charter school funding threat. Four Marlborough High School Student Advisory Committee members presented to the board Tuesday on the e-hall pass system, the new phone pouch policy, freshman orientation, and gun violence anxiety, with sophomore rep Taylor Cronus reporting that 63 percent of surveyed students have felt unsafe at school due to gun violence and 81 percent interested in education careers have had second thoughts. Superintendent Dr. Murphy reported total district enrollment at 4,786 students with a notably small ninth-grade class of 199, flagged a McKinney-Vento homeless student population of 236, up 39 percent from last October, and briefed the committee on Advanced Math and Science Academy's pending charter amendment request to expand enrollment, projected to pull approximately 20 additional Marlborough students, with a state hearing window set between January 28 and February 24, 2025. During public comment, Kevin Macioli of 58 Ridge Road, who said he has raised bullying concerns before the board since at least 2022, challenged the committee to establish a formal working group before the end of October after documented bullying findings jumped from 15 to 45 in the most recent school year.