Stoneham School Committee Approves Override Statement Warning of 50 to 60 Layoffs

STONEHAM — November 20, 2025 — Stoneham School Committee unanimously approves public statement warning of 50 to 60 layoffs if December 9 override fails. Meeting remotely on November 20, the five-member board voted 5 to 0 to release a formal statement urging residents to vote "yes and yes" on the upcoming Proposition 2½ override ballot questions. The statement, drafted by the committee chair and member Melanie after the committee's prior unanimous endorsement of the override, declares that without additional revenue "the district faces deep across the board cuts" including "layoffs of 50 to 60 full-time employees" and elimination of arts, music, athletics, and electives. The document argues that Proposition 2½'s 2.5 percent revenue cap cannot keep pace with cost categories — special education, transportation, health insurance, and contractual obligations — that typically require four to six percent annual growth to sustain services, and that the district has already absorbed more than four consecutive years of cuts. Member Megan Dalton was tasked with placing the statement on official letterhead and posting it to the district website ahead of the December 9 vote.