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Minuteman HS project*

Minuteman High School appoints principal

Jack Dillon

Jack Dillon

John “Jack” Dillon III of Woburn, who has been serving as the school’s interim principal for the past four months and was the school’s assistant principal for nine years before that, was selected by Dr. Edward A. Bouquillon, Minuteman’s Superintendent-Director from 34 applicants for the position. He succeeds Ernest F. Houle, who was appointed Superintendent-Director at Assabet Regional Vocational Technical High School in Marlborough.

“Minuteman is a great school and I’m very proud of the staff and students here,” Dillon said. “The next year will be very important for us as we try to promote a building project. It’s a herculean effort and I’m committed to working with our superintendent and our communities to help make it happen.”

Dillon has worked in education for 25 years. Before coming to Minuteman, he served as assistant principal at Maynard High School and as a health teacher and acting assistant principal at Burlington High School. He holds a master’s degree in education from Cambridge College and a bachelor’s in education from Bridgewater State University.

Letter to the editor: costs and benefits of Minuteman proposal

letter

To the editor:

As a town resident living near Minuteman High School, I have always considered the high school a very good neighbor. Minuteman runs a fine program, which serves four to six Lincoln students each year. The superintendent’s house is on Mill Street in Lincoln, so he has every reason to join with Lincoln neighbors in protecting the tranquility and scenery of an area dominated by the landscape of Minuteman National Historical Park.

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Letter to the editor: support new Minuteman agreement

letter

Editor’s note: Since the revised agreement first came up for voting by district towns a year ago, 10 of the 16 towns have approved the new agreement while five (Belmont, Boxborough, Dover, Lincoln and Sudbury) have deferred their votes and one (Wayland) has voted no.

To the editor:

On Saturday, March 28, voters in the town of Lincoln have a unique opportunity to assist Minuteman High School, an institution with which the town has been associated for the past 40 years. Voters at Town Meeting can act to approve Article 34, ratifying a new Minuteman Regional Agreement.

As a Lincoln resident and long-time educator, I am urging Town Meeting voters to say “yes” to the new agreement.

Why should the Town of Lincoln approve the new Regional Agreement now?  There are several reasons:

  • The agreement is a reasonable compromise borne out of nearly five years of negotiation.
  • A majority (10) of Minuteman’s 16 member towns have approved the revisions.
  • Compromise rarely generates complete satisfaction; there are positives and negatives:
    • Lincoln’s share of capital costs would increase based on the Mass. Chapter 70 aid variable.
    • Lincoln’s weighted vote would be 4.0 percent vs. the present 6.25 percent.
    • Assessments will be averaged over year years (vs. one year) to lessen annual budget volatility.
    • A reasonable pathway for communities to exit or enter the district is created.
  • Minuteman and Lincoln town officials have discussed ways to moderate negative impacts.
  • The State Board of Education voted new regulations requiring non-members to pay for capital projects.
  • A revised agreement will benefit the retention of a 40 percent minimum reimbursement rate from the Massachusetts School Building Authority, when a project is eventually approved (est. 2016).
  • Project delays have put the school’s accreditation with the New England Association of Schools & Colleges (NEASC) in jeopardy due to the physical condition of the building.

If the new agreement is not approved, there’s increased risk that the building project will fail—and we’ll lose 40 percent state funding. If that happens, we still have a building to fix or replace. Lincoln will continue to be responsible for those capital costs—with or without financial help from the state.

Further, if the new agreement is not approved, Lincoln will probably have no workable option to withdraw from the district. Without a change in the existing agreement, the town will need to secure approval from all 16 current members.

Of course, the easiest decision for the Town of Lincoln is to do nothing—to continue to “pass over” this issue. But that’s not the right decision, either for Minuteman High School or for our town.

I ask my fellow voters to say “yes” to Article 34.  On behalf of the school, I ask for your support and leadership.

For more information about the agreement, please visit these Minuteman websites.

Sincerely,

Edward A. Bouquillon, Ph.D. (superintendent, Minuteman High School)
10 Mill St.

Letters to the editor must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to news@lincolnsquirrel.com. Letters must be about a Lincoln-specific topic, 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.

Minuteman High School seeks input on building project

mm1Officials at Minuteman High School are seeking feedback from area residents about several options they’re considering to improve or replace the existing school facilities.

“The purpose of these meetings is to inform people about the available options and ask them what they think,” said Ford Spalding, chair of the School Building Committee.

Cost estimates for five repair/renovation options being considered by Minuteman High School (click to enlarge).

Cost estimates for five repair/renovation options being considered by Minuteman High School (click to enlarge).

Over the next two months, Spalding said the School Building Committee is planning to make presentations in all 16 member towns to outline the options and to gather feedback. The first presentations were held in Acton on March 11 and in Dover on March 17. The presentation in Lincoln is tentatively scheduled for Monday, April 27.  The location and time have not been determined.

Spalding said the School Building Committee is also looking for written comments from the public. It will gather comments at the community presentations and accept comments by email at SchoolBuildingCommittee@minuteman.org.

The committee also designed a brief online survey to gather input. Results of the survey will be used by the School Building Committee and the District School Committee to help decide on a preferred option. That option, in turn, will be reviewed by the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA). The School Building Committee has been working on a feasibility study with the MSBA since 2009. It has also examined other options in the event MSBA state-supported options are rejected.

Total costs for the five project options under consideration range from $100.4 million to $176.5 million. The cost for any of the three higher-end options would be partially offset by funding from the state, so those projects would then cost the district towns a net total of $87 million to $106 million.

Letter to the editor: Support Minuteman agreement

letterTo the editor:

This Saturday at Town Meeting, there will be some discussion about a Revised Regional Agreement for the Minuteman Regional High School. Minuteman really needs a new school, but before this can happen, they need the Revised Regional Agreement to be passed by all communities in the district involved.

I can assure you that Dr. Edward Bouquillon, superintendent of Minuteman, has spent an incredible amount of time (his own time) and an incredible amount of meetings to come up with the best outcome for this school and the best agreement possible. I trust his work 100 percent. This school provides incredible education and is extremely valuable for our communities. Please do not let down the other communities and the school’s opportunity to be improved.

Even though this should be supported through state and federal funds, it is not going to happen tomorrow, and maybe it is never going to happen. We can’t take this as an excuse to turn our heads away. I strongly feel that it is our responsibility and our commitment to help this school at a time they need it most, meaning now. Lincoln is an “in-district” town for Minuteman High school; it can’t just take advantage of it when needed and then not help when the school needs financial support. Lincoln is one of the richest towns in the district, and I would feel very ashamed as a Lincolnite if this Revised Regional Agreement did not pass because of Lincoln.

The Lincoln Public Schools and Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School each had their turns to rebuild and improve; now it is Minuteman Regional High School’s overdue turn. Let’s give them our support. It is a good and honorable use of your tax money.

Sincerely,

Tania Dessain
62 Conant 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 must be about a Lincoln-specific topic. Letters containing personal attacks, errors of fact or other inappropriate material will not be published. Letters may be edited for punctuation, spelling, style, etc., and will be published at the discretion of the editor.

Letter to the editor on Minuteman revised agreement

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To the editor:

Minuteman High School, which provides career and technical education to Lincoln students, has proposed a revised regional agreement as a warrant article for the March 29 town meeting at the Brooks Auditorium. For this new regional agreement to come into effect, it must be approved by a majority at the town meetings of every member town. It is important that stakeholders such as yourselves be aware and informed about the new Agreement so that you and your community can make informed decisions about it. To that end, informational material about the new agreement can be found here along with a seven-minute video explaining the agreement.

Minuteman is a vital resource to the community. Providing a rigorous and relevant curriculum that prepares students for both college and careers is only the first part of our role in Lincoln. We provide education for post-graduate students who seek additional training in order to achieve career readiness. We offer community education programs that enrich the lives of the young and old with new learning opportunities. Our students are involved in community projects across our district. Our restaurant and other service-oriented shops welcome visitors for excellent and affordable service.

In order to continue offering this excellent education and these other services, Minuteman must adapt. One way that we are attempting to achieve this change is by amending the current regional agreement, which will allow the district to move on from a regional agreement that no longer serves the best interests of our students. In brief, the revised agreement makes the following changes:

  • Annual assessments based on a four-year rolling average.
  • Capital cost allocation formula incorporates ability to pay along with a four-year rolling average of enrollment.
  • Minuteman School Committee voting will be weighted, with 50 percent of a member’s vote based on a four-year rolling average.
  • Minuteman School Committee can negotiate a transition period with potential new member communities.
  • Members may withdraw unless disapproved by a majority of remaining member town meetings.
  • Contributions to capital costs by non-members are applied to reduce capital assessments to members.
  • Authorization for new debt must first be pursued through the unanimous approval of member town meetings before proceeding to a district-wide election.
  • Amendments to the regional agreement may be initiated by a 3/4 vote of the School Committee.

These changes are the result of years of work by the administration of Minuteman High School, the Minuteman School Committee, subcommittees and task forces made up of local stakeholders, and local government representatives. The revised agreement reflects the input of every member community and represents a hard-earned compromise between these communities.

The article will be heard at Lincoln Town Meeting, which begins at 9:30 a.m. on March 29 at the Brooks Auditorium. Please take some time to review the linked materials or watch the video and express your opinion at town meeting this Saturday.

Sincerely,

Edward Bouquillon, Minuteman High School Superintendent-Director
10 Mill St., Lincoln

Brendan Dutch, Minuteman High School Communications Coordinator
Plymouth, Mass.

Letters to the editor must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. Letters must be about a Lincoln-specific topic. Letters containing personal attacks, errors of fact or other inappropriate material will not be published. Letters may be edited for punctuation, spelling, style, etc., and will be published at the discretion of the editor.