Unfunded Futures: The Battle to Save Stoneham's Education

Our schools are in grave danger. Stoneham is in grave danger. The 4.6 million dollar deficit that looms over Stoneham threatens to undermine the very values that define the standard of education that we offer our students. As the district cuts the very bedrock of our education, students will be the ones making the largest sacrifices. We will sacrifice teachers, a diverse range of course options, access to graduation requirements, and vital extracurriculars. While this issue has become a frequent topic of discussion in Stoneham over the past few months, lack of education funding casts a shadow over dozens of Massachusetts towns. Countless school districts are struggling to remain afloat without access to funding that matches rising inflation rates, pointing to the broad scope of this issue.

Throughout my entire high school career, Stoneham has been making budget cuts. First, sports teams disappeared. Next, we noticed that a few teachers did not return upon the start of the school year. Course offerings dissolved. Class sizes gradually increased. Stoneham schools have little left to give. Any additional cuts will directly compromise our quality of education. For example, amongst the proposed cuts are our French and Italian programs. Through world language courses, I learned to appreciate unique cultures, acquired difficult language skills, broadened my worldviews, and enhanced my communication skills. Although I personally will have the opportunity to take an AP course in my language of choice, Spanish, many of my classmates will be unable to advance their foreign language studies as a result of the cuts. In turn, these budget cuts will severely curtail the ability of countless students to continue to nurture the unique cultural perspectives they have developed over the past six years.

Additionally, the threats aimed at health education will jeopardize the futures of all Stoneham students, undermining their development of life-long health skills. The most recent Youth Risk Behavior Survey indicates that Stoneham students experience higher rates of substance use, depression, self-harm, and suicide ideation compared to all other communities surveyed. In response to these disturbing results, Stoneham Public Schools emphasized the importance of “increas[ing] education about areas including dating violence, mental health, and substance.” However, this is a goal that we cannot hope to meet if our future entails the elimination of health classes. Through cuts on health education, Stoneham will fail its students by depriving us of the resources needed to combat these pressing issues, as well as the skills that enable us to make healthy decisions in the long-term.

Without access to a broad range of course offerings, particularly advanced courses, Stoneham students will sorely lack the qualifications and skills needed to compete in both college applications and the job market. We cannot promise our students a bright future while also depriving them of extracurricular and coursework opportunities that function to shape their edge and competitiveness. Moreover, by limiting these opportunities, we curtail the individuality of our students, molding them into adults that share disturbingly similar experiences, knowledge, and perspectives.

Although the proposed budget cuts will severely diminish student experiences and outcomes, they will also have far-reaching consequences for the entire Stoneham community. For instance, property values can be expected to plummet in response to damages inflicted on schools. According to The New York Times, a 5% increase in student test scores can lead to a 2.5% increase in home values, demonstrating the direct positive correlation between educational quality and property values.

When we offer our students strong education, we hand them the tools of success, empowering them to formulate unique perspectives that will guide and shape their futures. As Benjamin Franklin once said, “An investment in knowledge pays the best interest.” By investing in education, we will not only invest in the academic success of Stoneham students, but we will invest in their abilities to create lasting change in their communities and leave a unique impact on the world. As we hand the future of our community onto the next generation—my generation—it becomes increasingly important to ensure that as future leaders, innovators, and community members, we possess the creativity, collaboration skills, and individuality that can only be supplied by a high-quality education. Therefore, a tax override is the only viable option for securing a future of Stoneham defined by prosperity and opportunity, rather than one plagued with stagnation and an irreparable loss of potential.