By Alice Waugh
How do you really feel about the school building project? The Lincoln School District is surveying town voters to find out what they like and don’t like about the plan that was voted on in November—and what would garner more support for the project.
Registered voters may complete the survey online or fill out a paper version that will be mailed to all Lincoln households, though each voter is asked to fill out only one version. The completion deadline is February 1. Results will be used by the School Committee and School Building Committee (SBC) as they discuss the future of the project. It’s still unclear to what extent the approved plan can be changed while still qualifying for $21 million in state funding, but the town has until February 28 to tell the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) how it plans to proceed.
The survey asks voters what they think are the top three problems and/or benefits of the project. The problems offered on the survey are:
- Not clear that the existing building has significant structural, systems, and/or educational needs
- The site design (parking, roads, fields) of proposed project was worse than the existing site
- The layout of proposed building was worse than the existing building
- The proposed project tore down the Smith Gym and classrooms built in 1994
- Not sure the project provided value for Lincoln’s portion of the cost ($29 million)
- The project would have raised Lincoln’s taxes too much
- Lincoln needs other non-school community facilities
The survey also asks residents if they agree, disagree, or aren’t sure about these statements:
- The Lincoln School building has significant systems and repair needs
- Having a kitchen and cafeteria would benefit the entire Lincoln community
- If asked again, I would vote for the MSBA-approved project as presented at Town Meeting
- I would vote for the MSBA-approved project if changes were made to the site design (e.g., parking was less visible; more of center field is preserved; more trees saved)
- I would vote to spend $29 million on a project that keeps the current (“L-shaped”) layout of the building
- I would vote to spend MORE than $29 million IF the project keeps the current (“L-shaped”) layout of the building
- It is acceptable to have students in temporary trailers during construction
- The school should do minimal repairs as needed and avoid code compliance triggers as long as possible
- The building should be handicap accessible and brought up to present-day fire & safety codes
- The Lincoln portion of the MSBA-approved project ($29 million) increased taxes too much
Future meetings
The SBC also announced a change in location for one of the upcoming meetings about the school project. The January 22 meeting to plan the two community charrettes will be held in the Hartwell multipurpose room rather than Reed Gym at 7:30 p.m. Residents are invited to attend one of the two identical charrettes:
- Sunday, January 27: 1-4 p.m., Hartwell multipurpose room
- Thursday, January 31: 7-10 p.m., Reed Gym
On Wednesday, February 6, the SBC will meet at 7:30 p.m. in Reed Gym to plan its response to the MSBA, which told town officials in a December 14 letter that the project could retain the promised $21 million in state funding only if the school district “determines as a result of its community outreach that the same project as proposed and approved by the MSBA is the preferred direction.”