OPENING DAY: Back to school a big success for over 6,000 Malden Public Schools students

MPS educators, administrators & staff give warm welcome to ‘stars’ of the new school year

By Steve Freker

The doors of the Malden Public Schools swung open on Wednesday morning for over 6,000 students, and according to MPS administrators, Opening Day went smoothly and successfully. Students in Grades 1 through 12 returned to classes for the 2025-2026 school year on Wednesday, with kindergarten and Pre-K students beginning their classes on Thursday, September 4.

After two days of classes on Wednesday and Thursday, students and staff are now off today, Friday, the start of the long holiday weekend. Labor Day will be marked on Monday, September 1, with no school that day, and Malden Public Schools classes will resume on Tuesday, September 2.

Malden second-year Superintendent of School Timothy Sippel, Ed.L.D. was joined by Malden Mayor and School Committee Chairperson Gary Christenson and Vice Chair Jennifer Spadafora (Ward 3) on Wednesday morning to greet students at all of the Malden schools. The trio began at Malden High School to welcome the incoming ninth-graders and then went on a school-by-school trek across the city, visiting all seven of Malden’s educational facilities.

Supt. Dr. Sippel said everything went well and successfully. “The weather was great for the first day of school and it is a credit to all the hard work and preparation by our administrators, educators and staff.”

Dr. Sippel said that “the energy and enthusiasm by everyone, especially the students, was great to see.”

Supt. Sippel and Mayor Christenson each took the time to personally greet and address the new ninth-graders when they arrived at Malden High School early Wednesday morning and wished them well, with encouragement and advice. Mayor Christenson: “I was in your place when I first started at Malden High School and I can tell you it will be a great experience for you, when you take advantage of the resources and people that are here to guide you.”

“Welcome everyone, as you begin your new journey,” Dr. Sippel said. “We are so glad to see you all and we are looking forward to giving you all the support and assistance that you will use to be successful.”

Dr. Sippel, Mayor Christenson and Vice Chair Spadafora also greeted the entire 800-plus Malden Public Schools educators and staff on their first day of school on Monday.

At a districtwide meeting, Dr. Sippel noted that Malden High School is fully staffed for the first time in many years and that across the district, only four positions remain unfilled. “We made a pledge to address this issue a year ago and today we can see that it has been a success — fully staffed at Malden High, nearly fully staffed overall,” Dr. Sippel announced to applause from the full house at the Jenkins Auditorium at Malden High School.

The Superintendent also noted that there are 61 new educators on board for the start of the new school year across the district. They went through a three-day orientation session last week, also held at Malden High School.

“We’re ready to go, looking forward to a great school year,” Dr. Sippel. “Alone, each of us is strong… and together we are much stronger.”

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Notable change: later school dismissal for Grades 1-12

A notable change that bears attention for this particular school year is the addition of approximately 10 minutes to the end of each school day districtwide. For example, at Malden High School, for many years the dismissal time has been at 2:15 p.m. Beginning this year, however, Malden High students will be in class until 2:25 p.m. each school day.

Further, for the K-8 schools, all five of these learning centers will have a uniform arrival and dismissal time districtwide:

Kindergarten–Grade 6: 8:00 a.m. –2:30 p.m.

Grades 7–8: 8:00 a.m. –2:35 p.m.