New Stoneham High School A Reality After Funding Approved

STONEHAM, MA — A new $190 million high school will become a reality after voters overwhelmingly approved a debt exclusion Tuesday that will help fund most of the project.

The unofficial results had the debt exclusion passing, 2,906-688. Just over 20 percent of voters turned out for the question.

"We approved the project in October, and we've approved funding it today," wrote Yes for SHS, a group advocating for the new high school. "Tomorrow, we can wake up knowing that a new SHS is finally on the horizon."

Residents went to Town Hall Auditorium to decide one question in the special town election:

"Shall the Town of Stoneham be allowed to exempt the provisions of Proposition two and one-half, so-called, the amounts required to pay for the bonds issued in order to pay the of planning designing, constructing, originally equipping and furnishing the New Stoneham High School located at 149 Franklin Street, Stoneham, Massachusetts?"

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The question had been expected to pass without much problem. Voters last month overwhelmingly approved the project.

The Massachusetts School Building Authority will pay for a quarter of the high school, reimbursing the town $49 million of the

The proposed new Stoneham High would have a pre-K learning center, turf athletic fields, walking paths, a 600-seat auditorium and more. There would also be maker spaces, collaboration areas and a Community Presentation space along with the usual classrooms, cafeteria and gymnasium. The goal is to have a place students and community members can all benefit from.

Mike Carraggi can be reached at mike.carraggi@patch.com. Follow him on Twitter @PatchCarraggi. Subscribe to Stoneham Patch for free local news and alerts and like us on Facebook.