Stoneham School Committee unanimously votes to negotiate with superintendent finalist DeFrancisco

STONEHAM — March 24, 2025 — Stoneham School Committee unanimously selects assistant superintendent Kristen DeFrancisco as its preferred candidate to become the district's next superintendent of schools. The committee voted 5-0 Monday night to enter into contract negotiations with DeFrancisco, currently the assistant superintendent of Groton-Dunstable Regional School District, after a months-long search conducted with the New England School Development Council that drew three finalists. A second unanimous vote authorized the committee chair to lead negotiations in coordination with legal counsel, subject to full committee ratification. Members cited DeFrancisco's extensive preparation — she had reviewed Stoneham School Committee and Select Board meeting recordings and read school improvement plans before her interview — along with reference feedback describing her as "disarming" in tense situations and experienced in data-driven special education management, a priority given the district's current vacancy in the director of special education role. The other finalists, Dr. Peter Cushing and Dr. Mark McLaughlin, were praised but multiple members flagged thinner depth on special education as a deciding factor. The committee also unanimously adopted a package of Section C policy handbook revisions, effective May 1, 2025, and marked the final meeting of Co-chair Betty Chu Prior, who is departing after four years.