(Below is an unedited version of an email sent out to Lincoln School parents by the Lincoln PTO.)
Been hearing bits and pieces of what’s happening with a potential Lincoln School building project since the November 3rd Town Meeting, but haven’t been following very closely since the big meeting? Parents were noticeably absent at the first of two charettes to give the Lincoln School Committee guidance about a future school building project for our town. Please plan to participate in the final input session on Thursday, January 31 from 7-10 p.m. in the Brooks gym, and spread the word to fellow parents so they know the importance of parental voices in the process.
First, a bit of catching up and contexting since November…
The Lincoln School Committee and School Building Committee have convened a series of meetings since the November 3rd Town Meeting to encourage town-wide participation in a potential school building project, while continuing to communicate with the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA). In response to our school district’s request to preserve funds in the MSBA Capital Pipeline originally intended for our town’s school building project, the MSBA has allowed our town until February 28, 2013 “to assess community support and examine how best to proceed.”
MSBA wants to hear from the Lincoln School Committee as of February 28th whether there is any broader agreement in Lincoln about the type of school building Lincoln voters want to build to meet the educational goals that the School Committee laid out to the MSBA several years ago — and if so, what Lincoln’s plan would be for developing any modified detailed plans for that design and the schedule for bringing this to a town vote.
Currently, our town is in the midst of determining in which design direction our citizenry would like to proceed as plans for a potential school building project move forward and the upcoming February 28th MSBA milestone approaches. The design options being considered are:
1. Modification of original “preferred option” from Nov. 3rd Town Meeting
- Cost: ~$29M ($50M total, with MSBA grant funding $21M of total cost)
- Addresses many of the issues which led to the failed 2/3 Town Meeting vote
- Eliminates risk of MSBA rescinding their funding
- Least disruptive option for current K-8 students — utilizes a phasing approach, with no trailer classrooms or mobile pods (no irredeemable expenses)
- Construction period: 2 years
- Retains the general shape of the current campus and allows the campus to serve various demographic groups representing the entire community
2. “L-shaped” proposal
- Cost: ~$50M, unclear if MSBA will discuss this as a funding option
- Developed on 1/16/13, with a mere 2 weeks of review consideration by Town
- Proposal does not include consideration of phasing needs for current K-8 students; probable approach would consist of trailer classrooms or mobile pods (and irredeemable additional expenses)
- Construction period: Unclear
- Proposal entails a building configuration that would maintain current layout
3. Maguire Report repair option
- Cost: ~$33M (2013 dollars) to Town, with no current state funding option
- Proposal does not include consideration of phasing needs for current K-8 students; probable approach would consist of trailer classrooms or mobile pods (and irredeemable additional expenses)
- Construction period: Unclear
- Option entails a building configuration that would maintain current layout
4. “Repairs as needed” option
- Cost: Cannot exceed $6.7M over 3 years without requiring full updated code compliance; no current state funding option
- Proposal does not include consideration of phasing needs for current K-8 students; probable approach would consist of trailer classrooms or mobile pods (and irredeemable additional expenses)
- Construction period: Unclear
- Option entails a building configuration that would maintain current layout
Why is this charette (input) stage in the process so critical?
Simply put, more citizens providing input into potential design options now will mean a more productive follow-up Town Meeting later that more citizens can walk away feeling good about. Plus, as one of the primary hubs of our community, the Lincoln School campus design needs to represent the perspectives of all citizenry.
Why is it so important to hear the input of current K-8 Lincoln School parents during this final working session?
The sessions so far have been well-attended, but not by parents of current Lincoln School students. And, for any design option to work well in our community in both the short-term and long-term, the needs and viewpoints of the most frequent school campus users need to be included.
The current design alternatives vary greatly in their planning for the educational experience of current K-8 students who will need to be accommodated during a potential construction project. And the design options represent a wide continuum of financial, community, educational, and other implications as well.
Come and see what’s happening — please attend the final charette (input session) and engage with a town-wide decision process that will have significant impact on your current Lincoln School K-8 son(s) and/or daughter(s).
Final Community Charette (input session):
Thursday, January 31
7:00 to 10:00 p.m.
Brooks Gym