Stoughton School Committee approves $845,000 capital plan focused on aging middle school

STOUGHTON -- February 10, 2026, Stoughton School Committee approves $845,000 in capital articles and five major agenda items, all by 5-0 votes. The February 10 meeting, which ran nearly four hours, centered on a facilities condition assessment by contractor Bureau Veritas identifying roughly $268 million in 20-year district needs. Superintendent Jorge Baeta presented eight fiscal year 2027 capital articles targeting the O'Donnell Middle School, the oldest operating district building, for door replacements ($230,000), window shades ($45,000), HVAC units ($35,000), and exterior decking, alongside a $436,330 district-wide interactive display replacement; a separate Wilkins Elementary School decarbonization article estimated at up to $6 million is contingent on a $3 million state grant application filed the same evening. The committee also voted 5-0 to authorize community outreach on a draft K-12 homework policy and 5-0 to direct the chair to write to the Select Board opposing an October 15 school budget submission deadline in a draft town financial policy, with Baeta calling the date "completely unable" given the district's dependence on the governor's January House 1 release. Baeta put the current FY27 budget shortfall at approximately $4 million, driven by the loss of roughly 200 students, about 170 of them former shelter students, that threatens a drop to a lower Chapter 70 aid grouping.