Stoneham School Committee Approves Eighth-Grade Sports Waivers for Fall 2026

School Committee · Meeting of July 23, 2026

Stoneham School Committee approved a blanket eighth-grade athletic participation waiver for fall 2026 and advanced a sweeping overhaul of two policy manual sections at its July 23 meeting. The committee voted 4-0 with one abstention to allow eighth-graders to join high school teams in sports including girls hockey, cross-country, field hockey, and softball if rosters fall short, with Athletic Director Dave Pignon warning that girls hockey in particular faces a "pretty dark" near-term future after separating from its Wilmington co-op. Pignon also unveiled the SNAP Mobile app as a centralized hub for schedules, ticketing, and fan attendance rewards, prompting committee member Jaime Wallace to ask how students without smartphones would access the same opportunities — a gap Pignon acknowledged he had not previously considered.

Members Cory Mashburn and Melanie Fiore led a first read of revised Section D and Section K policies, rescinding dozens of legacy-numbered rules in favor of MASC-standardized codes, with a second read and vote set for August. Superintendent Dr. DeFrancisco reported 46 of 67 staff positions filled, named James Grocke as the new Stoneham High School assistant principal, and announced a revised transportation opt-in deadline of August 3 and a push for firmer residency unenrollment deadlines after members criticized last year's repeated extensions.

In the full story:

• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report — 2,387 words

Source: the School Committee meeting of July 23, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.