To the editor:
I’m writing in support of Lincoln’s membership and involvement in Minuteman High School, including their plans for a new facility.
My oldest daughter attended Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School for her freshman and sophomore years. During the end of that second year, we determined that L-S wasn’t an appropriate placement for her. It was such a relief to have Minuteman right next door, which she attended for her junior and senior years. We were thrilled when she graduated as a National Merit Scholar and a certified preschool teacher in June 2011. Since her graduation, she’s been employed either part-time or full-time as a preschool teacher while she’s attended four year colleges either full or part-time, respectively.
The bottom line is that Minuteman was an invaluable experience for her, providing her with confidence and a career. I encourage Lincolnites to embrace the school and its varied offerings.
Sincerely,
Carol Kochmann
9 Brooks Hill Rd.
Letters to the editor must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. Letters will be edited for punctuation, spelling, style, etc., and will be published at the discretion of the editor. Letters containing personal attacks, errors of fact or other inappropriate material will not be published.
Unfortunately it looks like if we stay in the MM district, we’ll have “MORE TO PAY AND LESS TO SAY.” IOW, we’ll pay more but have less of a voice in policy matters.
I attended the Thursday meeting on the projected tuition costs for Lincoln to stay in the Minuteman District. I left feeling divided because the data was based on unknowns and did not seem solid enough to commit to a decision.
The very thorough analysis presented suggested we were being gouged most outrageously. The cost of sending an in-district student was more for Lincoln than if we were out of district! Data presented earlier in the week re-phrased this cost of staying in-district cost to about $6 per hundred thousand dollars of property value or about $50 more a year on average for property tax.
My concern is preserving an alternative education option for Lincoln students. At the present time, the enrollement for Minuteman is about 624 students although it can hold 800 students. this is not due to lack of interest but likely because the building is in such poor condition and Minuteman is not allowed to present their programs in many public schools. The new school will be sized at around 600 students to match the present enrollment. However, everyone in Massachusetts has heard that there is a tremendous interest in encouraging voc-tech schools which prepare students for 21st century jobs. Therefore, it is possible the new building will likely attract more interest from the entire region making spaces much more competitive. It is even possible that Minuteman could refuse out-of-district students such as it’s neighbor Shawsheen Tech in Billerica which is very competitive to get into. By leaving the district, it may be possible that Lincoln students who wish to attend may not be able to go to their local voc-tech school and have to drive far away to schools where they know no-one. I’m sure if that were the case, even fewer Lincoln parents and kids would choose to consider the voc tech option.
If it were possible, I would like to vote in favor of the new referendum which allows towns to leave the district more easily, but not choose to leave yet. This way we could see what actual tuition/capital costs are and what the enrollment is with the new building. If the actual numbers are worse than expected we could choose to withdraw. Or we could initiate more discussion to change the tuition rules to be more equitable. I personally feel that if there is anyway to preserve an alternative choice for Lincoln students to go to their local voc-tech school we should try to keep that option open. The money is just as green for thinking-hands people who can do tangible things such as plumbing, nursing and electrical as it is for people who can do more esoteric things like program software apps and research genomes.
Who is the author of this article?