Gloucester School Committee Names Dr. John Ferrella as New GHS Principal

GLOUCESTER — May 14, 2025 — Gloucester School Committee names Dr. John Ferrella as the next principal of Gloucester High School. Superintendent Ben Loughlin announced the appointment Wednesday pending contract negotiations, introducing Ferrella as a 30-year public education veteran who previously served as principal of Revere High School and Medford High School and who said Gloucester was "the only principal job I applied for." The committee also held a public hearing on its proposed $54.2 million fiscal year 2026 budget, a 5.29 percent increase of $2.725 million that Loughlin called the second-highest percentage increase in roughly seven years; nearly all new positions target special education, including programs for autism and emotional behavioral support at O'Malley. A parent identified as Ryan argued during public comment that the district is "not in compliance" with the needs of students with lower-functioning autism, prompting Special Education Director Mike Jarvis to acknowledge that program design must shift. The Gloucester Education Foundation reported investing over $475,000 in 31 school programs this year, including more than $400,000 raised to launch a new medical assisting program at GHS in fall 2025. A proposed school choice policy allowing disaster-displaced families to keep students enrolled in Gloucester schools was tabled after members could not agree on whether a six-month cap or a full-school-year window was more appropriate.