Stoneham Override Study Committee Accepts Final Report on $12.5 Million Override

STONEHAM — September 29, 2025 — Stoneham's Override Study Committee voted 7-to-1 Monday to accept its final report recommending the Select Board consider a $12.5 million Proposition 2½ operating override for fiscal year 2027. The committee spent most of its September 29 meeting editing the draft line by line, with member Nick successfully arguing that the school department's $8.68 million allocation should be broken into two visible components — roughly $2.68 million to restore programs and staffing, and approximately $6 million as a market-rate salary adjustment the committee called "a good-faith estimate subject to labor negotiations." Special education costs cited in the report grew from $10.8 million in fiscal year 2023 to $15.5 million by fiscal year 2025, rising from 33.67 percent to 43.34 percent of the overall school budget. Charter school contribution costs rose from $1.23 million in fiscal year 2019 to just over $4 million by fiscal year 2026. The lone dissenting vote, member Steven, stated for the record that he "does not agree with this report, recommendations or conclusions, and opposes the override," and his written statement will be included in the final document. The committee's report was to be transmitted to the Select Board by midday September 30, with a tri-board meeting to follow on Thursday, October 2.