Marshfield School Committee Approves Co-Op Ski Team, Rejects Junior Varsity Girls Hockey Proposal
MARSHFIELD - November 18 - The Marshfield School Committee voted 4-0 to approve a co-operative varsity ski team partnership with Cohasset High School but rejected a proposal to add a junior varsity girls hockey team by a 1-3 vote, following a contentious debate about equity, safety concerns, and the district’s precedent for allowing eighth-grade students to compete on sub-varsity teams. The split decision, announced at Monday’s school committee meeting, highlighted the board’s careful deliberation about expanding athletic opportunities while maintaining competitive standards and resource allocation across all sports programs.
The Full Story
Athletic Director William Battis presented two distinct proposals to the school committee as part of ongoing efforts to expand participation opportunities in Marshfield’s athletic programs. Both requests emerged from student interest and changing enrollment dynamics, but received markedly different receptions from committee members.
The ski team co-operative agreement with Cohasset emerged from decreased enrollment at Cohasset High School and increasing interest from Marshfield students. Battis explained that Cohasset has maintained a competitive ski team for many years but their numbers are declining. The Massachusetts Interscholastic Athletic Association (MIAA) granted a waiver allowing the two schools to co-operate, with Cohasset serving as the host school. Under the arrangement, Marshfield would contribute three to five student-athletes to the combined team, which competes in downhill racing events.
The financial commitment for the ski co-op proved minimal for Marshfield. The district would not pay coaching salaries, as Cohasset employs the coaching staff. Marshfield’s primary obligation would be transportation to Blue Hills for training sessions and to Ragged Mountain in New Hampshire for competitive races. Each race carries an $80 per-athlete fee. Battis noted that in specialty sports like skiing, families typically assume much of the transportation responsibility, further reducing district costs. No equipment, uniforms, or officials’ fees would burden Marshfield’s budget.
Committee member Lauren Dargan asked about the total anticipated cost. Battis estimated approximately $300 in race fees if three students competed in five races throughout the season, plus transportation expenses. The winter season begins December 1, with the co-op team starting practice on December 8. Students would train at Blue Hills and compete at Ragged Mountain, with off-ice conditioning taking place at Cohasset High School and Marshfield facilities.
The junior varsity girls hockey proposal generated far more controversy. Battis explained that last year, the district successfully ran a JV girls hockey team by splitting costs with the Girls Hockey Boosters organization, which funded ice time while the district covered coaching expenses. The team played approximately 11 Sunday games and provided valuable playing time for developing athletes who weren’t receiving significant minutes on the varsity roster.
This year, the Boosters requested that the school district assume full financial responsibility for the JV coaching position. Coach Brown, the varsity coach, supported the JV program’s continuation and identified between 10 and 18 returning players who would benefit from sub-varsity competition. However, the proposal included a controversial element: requesting an eighth-grade waiver that would allow middle school students to supplement the JV roster.
The eighth-grade waiver request immediately raised concerns. Under MIAA regulations, eighth-graders granted waivers can only compete at the lowest level of competition a school offers. They cannot displace high school athletes from roster positions. Battis noted that Marshfield has only twice in his seven years as athletic director utilized eighth-grade waivers, both times to support varsity teams facing critical roster shortages in boys tennis and girls hockey.
Dargan voiced multiple objections to the JV hockey proposal. She expressed safety concerns about eighth-grade players, potentially of varying skill levels, competing against established junior and senior high school athletes in a physical sport. Dargan also worried about setting a precedent that could pressure the district to grant eighth-grade waivers more frequently across multiple sports programs.
“I have a safety concern with that,” Dargan said, referencing the potential skill disparity between middle school and high school athletes. “And then also, it’s been what you have created that we don’t often offer in the bigger schools.”
Dargan further noted that the district has been working to address parental concerns about equity among sports offerings. Regularly granting eighth-grade waivers for sub-varsity teams could exacerbate those equity concerns, particularly when high school athletes on other teams don’t receive similar opportunities for expanded rosters. She also pointed out that multiple youth hockey programs operate in Marshfield, including a town hockey committee for middle school-aged girls and separate junior hockey teams, providing ample opportunities for eighth-graders to develop their skills outside the high school program.
Committee member Richard Greer raised questions about funding precedent. He expressed concern that approving the team’s creation would effectively commit the district to ongoing funding without explicit budget approval. Chair Sean Costello disagreed, stating that the motion to approve a team inherently includes the funding commitment necessary to support it. “Including that in the offerings of the district means that there’s funding to ensure that it’s in those offerings,” Costello explained.
Battis attempted to address concerns by explaining that the eighth-grade athletes identified by Coach Brown are currently playing at a high competitive level in youth programs and would not compromise the JV team’s competitiveness. He emphasized that these students would only play at the JV level and could not take roster spots from varsity athletes. However, Dargan countered that ample opportunities exist for these young athletes to continue developing in established youth programs rather than on high school teams.
The cost structure for JV girls hockey included approximately $3,700 for ice time and league fees, plus the coaching salary. Battis acknowledged this represented a significant investment, particularly in a year when the district graduated 12 varsity players and faces lower overall roster numbers than the previous season. The girls hockey program has been working to grow participation, and the JV team would theoretically support that goal by providing more playing time for athletes not yet ready for varsity competition.
Committee discussion revealed philosophical differences about the purpose of eighth-grade waivers. Battis maintained they should only support teams facing critical roster shortages at the varsity level, not expand sub-varsity offerings. The committee’s 1-3 rejection of the JV girls hockey proposal reflected this more conservative interpretation of when such waivers are appropriate.
Chair Costello noted before the vote that the committee should ideally have received these proposals earlier in the agenda-setting process to allow for first and second readings, rather than acting immediately. However, he acknowledged that registration deadlines and seasonal timelines sometimes necessitate more expedient action. Battis apologized for the compressed timeline, explaining that registration had only recently opened and coaches had just provided updated roster projections.
Earlier in the meeting, the school committee celebrated fall athletic achievements during a “Spotlight on Excellence” presentation. Twenty-four fall sports captains participated in a six-week leadership development program called the Captain’s Leadership Council, meeting for 45 minutes every Monday morning at 7 a.m. in the high school library. Teachers Ms. Pitts and Ms. Renard facilitated the program in collaboration with individual team coaches.
The leadership curriculum addressed six core competencies: defining leadership, effective communication, motivation and team culture, conflict resolution, leading under pressure, and reflection and goal-setting. Captains from football, field hockey, soccer, cheerleading, cross country, and other fall sports discussed real-world scenarios, shared challenges from their teams, and developed strategies for motivating teammates while maintaining positive team culture.
Six captains presented their experiences to the school committee. Nathan McGowan, football captain, discussed how the program helped him and his fellow captains realize they needed to become more vocal motivators when the team experienced a mid-season slump. Julia O’Brien, field hockey captain, emphasized the importance of nonverbal communication and body language in leadership. Jake Fisher, also from football, explained how the program taught him to celebrate effort versus outcome, recognizing teammates who made sacrifices for the team even when results didn’t immediately follow.
Charlie Leach, boys soccer captain, described learning when to step in to resolve conflicts between teammates versus when to involve coaches or other adults, building trust within the team structure. Sam McIntyre, cheerleading captain, explained how the program helped her manage pressure during routine changes and injuries while keeping her team encouraged. Tara Johnson, girls soccer captain, reflected on learning that different teammates need different communication approaches and motivational techniques.
Committee member Lauren Dargan, who originally advocated for creating the Captain’s Leadership Council, expressed pride in seeing the program exceed initial expectations. The winter season’s Captain’s Leadership Council will begin December 8, with a new cohort of team leaders participating in similar curriculum adapted for winter sports.
Battis also provided a broader fall sports update. The football team will compete in the Mayflower Athletic Conference championship Thursday morning against Duxbury. The cheer team qualified for the state competition at Worcester State after Marshfield hosted the MIAA South Regional competition with 54 participating teams. Battis noted that this fall marked the first season when every Marshfield sports team qualified for state tournament competition, reflecting both the quality of coaching and the depth of student-athlete talent across all programs.
Student representatives Bailey McIntyre and Ella Tierney provided updates on recent and upcoming school activities. Unified Basketball held a season banquet recognizing players with superlatives celebrating their dedication and sportsmanship. The program will host a fundraiser on November 25 at 5:30 p.m. featuring a game between Marshfield Police and Unified Basketball, with all proceeds benefiting the Unified program.
The second round of parent-teacher conferences is scheduled for Thursday. DECA will host the third annual Shop Local Night on Monday, December 9, from 6-8 p.m. at the high school, supporting the Marshfield Chamber of Commerce and providing opportunities for school clubs and community organizations to raise awareness and funds. The theatrical society performed “Clue” last weekend with three additional performances scheduled this coming weekend.
The National Honor Society held its induction ceremony on November 6. The annual coat drive, benefiting local families, runs through November 21. Student Council’s “Penny Wars” competition between grades continues, with each grade collecting pennies for points while using silver coins and dollar bills to deduct points from competing grades. All proceeds will benefit a designated charity.
The school committee also approved the second reading of two required state policies. The Competency Determination Policy follows model language developed by the Massachusetts Association of School Committees (MASC) and approved by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE). Dr. Ellen Martin, assistant superintendent, explained that the policy language is more procedural than typical school committee policies because state regulations require specific elements to be documented in official policy rather than administrative procedures.
Dr. Martin noted that DESE is currently considering mandating specific competency assessments that the state would develop, potentially requiring policy revisions in the future. However, the current policy language satisfies immediate state requirements and provides sufficient flexibility to accommodate future changes.
The School Career Technical Education (CTE) Pathways Policy also received second reading approval. This policy outlines how Marshfield will implement required CTE pathway exploration at the middle school level, including facility tours, informational sessions about agricultural schools, and curriculum development. Dr. Martin explained that the district is still developing the middle school CTE curriculum, though the policy framework will be submitted to DESE as required.
Dr. Martin raised a potential complication: DESE initially indicated schools could choose among various online platforms for tracking student CTE exploration, but recent guidance suggests the state may soon mandate a specific platform. That platform is currently free, but Marshfield High School already uses a different system. The transition could create compatibility issues when students move between schools using different tracking systems. Additionally, the proposed state platform would require students to create and manage their own accounts without school administrator access, raising questions about password resets, account troubleshooting, and data continuity if students transfer districts.
Dr. Martin also informed the committee that DESE may require Marshfield High School to develop recruitment and admissions policies for its Chapter 74 vocational courses, similar to policies required at South Shore Vocational Technical School and agricultural schools. She will seek clarification and potentially return to the committee with an additional policy proposal for high school CTE programs.
The committee approved disposal of outdated English Language Learner (ELL) instructional materials from the Webster and Martinson elementary schools. Dr. Martin explained that these resources, copyrighted between 2011 and 2017, no longer appear on DESE’s list of highly qualified instructional materials and have been superseded by research-based best practices for ELL instruction. The district is currently piloting new ELL materials as part of a multi-year implementation process.
Committee member Richard Greer questioned whether DESE’s requirements for approved instructional materials effectively force districts to spend money replacing functional curriculum. Dr. Martin acknowledged the concern but noted that the outdated copyright dates reflect genuinely obsolete materials, and evolving research on ELL instruction justifies the updates. She added that the district explores grant funding opportunities to offset curriculum costs when possible, though not all grants cover instructional materials.
Before discarding the materials, the district will offer them to families and reach out to other school districts to identify organizations accepting book donations, though Dr. Martin noted that the list of accepting organizations has significantly decreased in recent years.
Superintendent Dr. Patrick Sullivan accepted a $500 donation from Leonard LaForest to support Project Reach, a program operating across all schools in the district. The committee unanimously approved accepting the donation. Dr. Sullivan thanked LaForest for his ongoing generosity to Marshfield students.
Dr. Sullivan also announced that the Thanksgiving holiday week would be a “no homework weekend,” giving students and families time to gather without academic pressure during what can be a stressful holiday period. He encouraged families to use the time to recharge before the final push toward winter break.
Dr. Martin provided updates on professional development and district initiatives. She attended the MASC conference, highlighting sessions by Amanda Brickley, William James College’s program on developing leadership team strength, and Chair Costello’s presentation on student representative programs, which featured student representative Jack McManus as a special guest. Dr. Martin was selected to join DESE’s K-12 Artificial Intelligence Task Force, which will develop guidance for districts implementing AI policies and practices. She will also represent MASC on a planning team organizing an upcoming AI summit for educators.
The district’s Social-Emotional Learning (SEL) Steering Team will begin meeting Monday to select an SEL platform for implementation next school year. The 25-member team includes teachers, school psychologists, counselors, and administrators who will work independently and collaboratively to review research, identify priorities, select resources, and develop an implementation plan. The process mirrors successful curriculum selection protocols the district has used previously.
During a brief discussion about expanding middle school athletic opportunities, committee members expressed interest in Athletic Director Battis exploring options for building youth sports programs at the middle school level. Several members noted that while robust youth sports clubs operate in Marshfield, many students want to represent their school teams rather than solely playing in town recreational programs. Battis suggested meeting with middle school administrators to survey student interest and identify faculty members who might coach school-based teams, even if those teams only competed against each other within Marshfield rather than joining established leagues.
The committee acknowledged that many surrounding districts have reduced middle school athletic offerings due to budget constraints, making interscholastic competition challenging. However, building internal school-based programs could engage students who aren’t currently participating in club sports while developing athletes who will eventually join high school teams. Research consistently shows that students involved in school activities demonstrate higher academic achievement and stronger connection to their school communities.
Why It Matters
The school committee’s contrasting decisions on athletic expansion reflect the complex balance between providing opportunities for student-athletes and maintaining equity, safety, and fiscal responsibility across all programs. The approved ski co-op offers a low-cost opportunity for students interested in a specialty sport that Marshfield couldn’t independently sustain, expanding options without significant budget impact. The rejected JV girls hockey proposal, despite its potential benefits for developing athletes, raised concerns about establishing precedents for eighth-grade participation on sub-varsity teams that could create inequitable access across sports and potentially compromise safety standards. For families with students interested in winter athletics, the ski co-op provides a new competitive outlet, while families hoping for expanded hockey opportunities will need to continue utilizing established youth programs until high school enrollment. The decisions also signal the committee’s intention to carefully evaluate athletic expansion proposals rather than automatically approving new programs, potentially affecting how future sport offerings are proposed and justified.
Meeting Minutes
Key Motions & Votes
Motion: Approve co-operative varsity ski team with Cohasset High School. Outcome: Approved. Vote: 4-0. (Timestamp: 0:57:35)
Motion: Approve junior varsity girls hockey team with eighth-grade waiver. Outcome: Defeated. Vote: 1-3. (Timestamp: 1:04:44)
Motion: Accept $500 donation from Leonard LaForest to Project Reach. Outcome: Approved. Vote: 4-0. (Timestamp: 1:07:03)
Motion: Approve disposal of outdated ELL instructional materials. Outcome: Approved. Vote: 4-0. (Timestamp: 1:11:29)
Motion: Approve Competency Determination Policy (second reading). Outcome: Approved. Vote: 4-0. (Timestamp: 1:14:19)
Motion: Approve School CTE Pathways Policy (second reading). Outcome: Approved. Vote: 4-0. (Timestamp: 1:17:21)
Motion: Approve meeting minutes from September 23, 2025. Outcome: Approved. Vote: 4-0. (Timestamp: 1:26:41)
Motion: Approve and release executive session minutes from October 7, 2025. Outcome: Approved. Vote: 4-0. (Timestamp: 1:26:42)
Motion: Approve meeting minutes from October 20, 2025. Outcome: Approved. Vote: 4-0. (Timestamp: 1:27:34)
Motion: Approve executive session minutes from October 20, 2025. Outcome: Approved. Vote: 4-0. (Timestamp: 1:28:01)
Public Comment
No members of the public addressed the committee during the designated public comment period.
What’s Next
The co-operative ski team with Cohasset will begin practice on December 8, with the winter season officially starting December 1. Athletic Director Battis indicated he will return to the committee in the near future with a proposal for an additional spring sports team. The Captain’s Leadership Council will launch its winter session on December 8. The SEL Steering Team begins meeting Monday to select the district’s social-emotional learning platform for implementation next school year. The District-Wide Dyslexia Committee will hold three calibration meetings between November and March, with a presentation to SEPAC planned for later in the school year. Dr. Martin will seek clarification from DESE regarding recruitment and admissions policy requirements for Marshfield High School’s Chapter 74 CTE courses and may return with an additional policy proposal. The second night of parent-teacher conferences is scheduled for Thursday. Shop Local Night, organized by DECA, will take place Monday, December 9, from 6-8 p.m. at the high school. The theatrical society will perform “Clue” this weekend with shows Friday at 7 p.m., Saturday at 1 p.m., and Saturday at 7 p.m. The Unified Basketball fundraiser game against Marshfield Police will be held November 25 at 5:30 p.m. The annual coat drive continues through November 21.
Corrected speaker names through the 8th grade waiver conversation