Stoneham Gets $100K For High School Stormwater, Wetlands Project

STONEHAM, MA — Work around Stoneham’s new high school construction project got a boost on the eve of the new school year this week in the form of a more than $100,000 state grant.

Awarded through the state Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness program, the $108,700 payment will cover some costs associated with a separate wetland restoration effort around the high school property.

State Representative Michael Day previously announced Stoneham’s funding last week. Gov. Charlie Baker then announced the larger slate of Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness awards to municipalities across the state on Tuesday.

Stoneham Town Administrator Dennis Sheehan celebrated the funding in a statement shared by the Mystic River Watershed Association following Baker’s announcement, saying the grant will further town efforts “to restore wetlands near the high school to absorb more water and provide better habitat and outdoor recreation.”

Work on Stoneham’s high school project is ongoing as the 2022-2023 school year gets underway.

Approved by voters last year, the $190 million project is drawing some of its funding through a debt exclusion. Stoneham is paying roughly $140 million toward the project, while the Massachusetts School Building School Building Authority is covering the remaining $50 million.

The topic of wetlands has intertwined with discussions about the high school project. Among those, the Conservation Commission weighed in back in May, noting spots where the project may improve wetland health and stormwater flow in the area.

Commission member Alex Rozycki discussed the Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness grant at the time, saying that the town was seeking funding through the program, as noted in meeting minutes.

Crews broke ground on the high school project in June with plans to open the new school in time for the 2024-2025 school year.

Outside of Wakefield, recent Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness grants set records for the program, which was launched in 2017, distributing $32.8 million across the state through this latest round of funding.

The Mystic River Watershed Association celebrated $8.6 million in grants to its participating communities, including money for similar nearby wetland and stormwater work in Woburn and Reading.

See a full list of grant recipients here.