Stoughton School Committee hires new principal, votes to exit school choice for 2026-2027

STOUGHTON -- March 24, 2026, Stoughton School Committee voted unanimously to exit the Inter-District School Choice Program for 2026-2027 and introduced Ryan Augusta as the district's next high school principal at its March 24 meeting. The 5-0 school choice withdrawal, required under MGL Chapter 76 Section 12B before June 1, followed Superintendent Joseph Baeta's recommendation citing enrollment instability and facility constraints. Augusta, currently assistant principal at Medway High School and a former special education teacher pursuing a doctorate in educational law, was praised by Superintendent-elect Julie Miller as "a visionary and collaborative leader." The committee also voted 5-0 to create a temporary naming subcommittee, appointing members Jillian DiStefano and Jennifer Sears, to guide community input on the name for the district's new Park Street elementary school, with a public hearing set for April 28. Baeta flagged that proposed Denison Athletic Field renovations, reported to exceed $650,000, could complicate the most practical site for a future middle school, warning that relocating the middle school from its current proximity to the high school would increase the district's operational budget by at least $1 million. The committee's final meeting before April break will be April 14; departing member Armando Barbosa was publicly thanked by the chair for three years of service.