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.