Stoughton School Committee Reelects Shannon as Chair, Ratifies Teacher Contract

STOUGHTON — April 14, 2026 — Stoughton School Committee reorganizes, ratifies a new teacher contract, and faces a $3.8 million school budget gap ahead of Town Meeting. The committee reelected Chris Shannon as chair and Jillian DeStefano as vice chair in consecutive 4-1 votes, with member Karen Powers dissenting both times and citing what she described as repeated open meeting law violations and misappropriated funds under Shannon's prior leadership. The committee unanimously ratified the Stoughton Teachers Association Unit A contract for FY2027 through FY2029, with member Dr. Jennifer Sears calling negotiations "very well done" and noting parties shook hands at the close — something she said she had never experienced from the teacher side of the table. Superintendent Dr. Armando Bietta told the committee the Finance Committee voted to send $69,245,872 to Town Meeting against a level-services request of more than $73 million, warning the gap will produce "the biggest amount of changes in personnel in at least 20 or 25 years." During public comment, Powers read a letter from Town Manager Tom Coulter to Finance Committee Chair Campbell warning that using free cash to close a structural school deficit "would drive us over the edge of a fiscal cliff"; Bietta said he had not received the letter and the committee directed Shannon to obtain it and place it on the May 12 agenda.