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My Turn: Unraveling the Hanscom misallocation

(Editor’s note: A slightly different version of this piece was posted last week in LincolnTalk by Cuetos, who asked that this revised version be published in the Lincoln Squirrel. The Squirrel has contacted members of the Finance Committee and School Committee, and at least one response will be forthcoming.

Cuetos will host a Zoom meeting on this issue on Sunday, March 8 at 7:00pm “to review the facts, explain how the issue developed, and answer questions from residents.”)

The Hanscom School operates under a contract that the town, as the operator, enters into with the Department of Defense. Lincoln taxpayer funds were systematically used to cover Hanscom school benefits and administrative costs that should have been paid with Department of Defense funds. By the later years of the FY21 to FY25 contract cycle, the annual impact of these misallocated charges had reached roughly $500,000.

I first raised the issue with town administration, the finance director, and the Finance Committee in 2022. Despite repeated follow up requests, no investigation began for nearly two years, even though those offices had direct access to the financial data and accounting systems needed to resolve the matter. The issue remained unexamined until 2024, when an audit initiated by the former School Committee chair was concluded and a working group was tasked to investigate the misallocated amounts. A sum of $2,045,000 in misallocated Hanscom expenses was confirmed for FY21 to FY25. The working group was not permitted to review earlier years, even though prior contracts operated under the same full cost reimbursement structure and used the same accounting methodology, which strongly suggests that similar misallocations likely occurred before FY21.

The confirmed expenses had been charged to Lincoln’s general fund instead of the Hanscom reserve, the dedicated account intended to cover Hanscom related costs. Correcting this is procedurally simple. These costs are legitimate Hanscom expenses that can be reimbursed to the general fund through a School Committee vote authorizing a transfer from the Hanscom reserve.

This process has been used twice already. An initial action reimbursed approximately $65,000 for split healthcare benefits. In June 2025, following executive session deliberations, the School Committee approved an additional reimbursement of about $495,000. In total, roughly $560,000 has been returned to taxpayers. This represents 27% of the confirmed FY21 to FY25 misallocated amount, leaving approximately $1,485,000 unreimbursed and any pre-FY21 amounts entirely unexamined.

The availability of funds is not in question. Under the contract structure, the federal government advances the full annual amount rather than reimbursing individual invoices, and the Hanscom reserve is fully under the town’s control. The most recent audited financials posted on the town website show a Hanscom Reserve balance of $9.7 million at the end of FY24, which is more than sufficient to correct the remaining shortfall for FY21 to FY25 and likely adequate to address earlier years if they were ever reviewed.

What has never been explained to residents is why the misallocation occurred, why it took nearly two years for an investigation to begin, why the School Committee limited the review period despite evidence that earlier years followed the same reimbursement rules, and why only a fraction of the confirmed misallocation has been corrected when the remedy is straightforward, locally controlled, and fully supported by available funds. Given the scale of the dollars involved and the fiduciary obligations owed to Lincoln taxpayers, a clear and comprehensive explanation remains necessary.

Chronology of Events (2022–2025)

  1. Benchmarking Analysis and Initial Evidence

Shortly after moving into town, I began studying our municipal finances. I wanted to understand how a town with the lowest proportion of students relative to population could still have such high taxes. My benchmarking against peer towns showed disproportionately higher taxes per capita across many departments, higher spending per pupil, and notably higher retirement benefits per dollar of payroll. A Massachusetts DESE report provided clear evidence that Lincoln was paying the lion’s share of Hanscom staff benefits.

  1. Sharing Findings with FinCom Leadership

I shared my benchmarking analysis with Finance Committee Chair Andy Payne in fall 2022 and invited him to my home. Unfortunately, we could not get past a disagreement about population numbers, and he showed no interest in the spending-per-pupil and retirement-benefits evidence. I also sent my findings to the full Finance Committee; only Fuat Koro expressed interest, though without leadership support he could not pursue it.

  1. Directed to the finance director

After continued requests, Mr. Payne directed me to Finance Director Colleen Wilkins. Following a few emails, she told me by phone that she was too busy preparing for budget season to engage in a “fishing expedition,” as she believed there was nothing to uncover. Communication ended.

  1. Submitting findings to school leadership

I also brought the matter to the School Committee and then-Superintendent Becky McFall, alerting them to the likely taxpayer subsidy. She quickly denied the subsidy’s existence and gave me access to then-Administrator for Business and Finance Mary Ellen Normen, who explained that she could neither confirm nor refute my findings because the underlying benefits accounting and payroll systems are controlled by the Town Finance Director.

It is relevant that Buck Creel — the longtime administrator for business and finance whose responsibilities included interpreting the contract, overseeing Hanscom’s financial submissions, and ensuring that eligible expenses were properly prepared and submitted for reimbursement — served in that role during the period when these misallocations occurred and was appointed to FinCom last year.

  1. Public records request and response

I filed a public records (FOIA-style) request to obtain the data. I received no response within the legal deadline, appealed to the state, and eventually received documents late from Town Administrator Tim Higgins. The response included irrelevant information that did not refute my claim. His email concluded with a statement that even if a mistake existed, it was not illegal.

  1. Escalation and lack of response

I sent multiple emails to the town administrator, FinCom, Select Board, Finance Department, and school administration explaining why the response was inadequate. None replied. I also asked a friend to brief Select Board member Jim Hutchinson, who had chaired FinCom. He told my friend they were too busy and too frustrated with my inquiries to address anything before Town Meeting. Nothing happened afterward.

  1. FinCom meeting and public comment suppression

Because no one was responding, I raised the issue during public comment at a FinCom meeting. Then-Vice Chair Paul Blanchfield cut me off, stating that he had reviewed the town’s FOIA response and that it disproved my claims. That was factually incorrect.

  1. Reduction in transparency

Following that meeting, several changes at FinCom occurred:

    • Zoom meetings became rare.
    • Mr. Payne stopped posting meeting recordings, and his YouTube channel disappeared.
    • The meeting video was missing from town archives until I provided my personal copy.
    • FinCom began developing a more restrictive public comment policy.
  1. Shift in FinCom position and additional barriers

After that meeting, I emailed Mr. Blanchfield again. His position shifted from “you are wrong” to “the town could recover funds except for certain accounting or statutory exceptions,” which was also incorrect. A new excuse emerged: that the contract was classified. I disproved this by obtaining unredacted copies of current and past contracts directly from the Department of Defense.

  1. School Committee chair steps in and launches independent audit

Former School Committee Chair John McLachlan, after seeing an interview referencing the issue, realized he had been incorrectly told the matter was resolved. He pursued the issue personally despite resistance from Town Administration and FinCom leadership. Unsatisfied, Mr. McLachlan launched an audit, reportedly provoking strong objections. A professional auditor was hired, but the process moved slowly and concluded only in summer 2024.

  1. Limitations of the audit and partial shifts in town accounting

I doubted the auditor could determine the benefit misallocation independently because benefits are managed by the Finance Department. In response to my inquiry on the status of the misallocation investigation at a fall 2023 FinCom meeting, Ms. Wilkins and Mr. Blanchfield redirected responsibility to the School Committee and the auditor. Ultimately, the benefit analysis was produced separately by Ms. Wilkins. Notably, during this same period, the Town transferred approximately $65,000 from the Hanscom reserve to the Town’s general reserve to correct split healthcare charges, an action that indicates the underlying issue had been recognized internally even before the formal findings were presented.

  1. Audit completion and formation of a working group

The audit concluded in summer 2024, though it did not examine benefits, which as I said were prepared independently by Ms. Wilkins. The School Committee formed a five-member working group: two School Committee members (Matina Madrick and Kim Rajdev), one Select Board member (Mr. Hutchinson), one FinCom member (Mr. Blanchfield), and myself. I understand that one longstanding School Committee member opposed both the creation of this working group and my inclusion, leading to a very restrictive mandate: we could examine only the FY21-25 contract, even though earlier contracts were also full-cost reimbursement.

  1. Working group findings and limitations

After discussions and adjustments to allocation methods, the committee unanimously agreed on a methodology confirming the misallocation at roughly 500,000 dollars per year. I objected to the refusal to examine earlier contracts. Before disbanding, I moved to recommend reimbursing the full FY21-25 misallocation. Mr. Hutchinson supported the motion; the other three members abstained.

  1. School Committee decision

Throughout FY25, the School Committee delayed any decision. In their final meeting of the year, they entered executive session and decided to reimburse for approximately one fourth of the remaining verified amount. No rationale was provided publicly.

My hope is that by presenting a clear and complete factual record, residents will demand accountability and strengthen oversight going forward. I have kept detailed records of all communications and am willing to review them with anyone interested.

My Turn: Madrick seeks reelection to Lincoln School Committee

By Matina Madrick

Hello, I’m Matina Madrick, the current chair of the Lincoln School Committee, and I’m excited to share that I am running for re-election.

Over the past two and a half years, I’ve had the privilege of serving on the School Committee. Early in my first year, my colleagues entrusted me with the role of chair. The work has been demanding and deeply rewarding, giving me a firsthand appreciation for the complexity of public education — balancing strong academics with fiscal responsibility, supporting our dedicated teachers and staff, and ensuring that every Lincoln student has access to high-quality learning opportunities.

I’ve also learned how critical it is to stay connected with the community. I regularly meet with parents, educators, and other residents to listen, answer questions, and understand the perspectives that should inform our decisions. Those conversations shape how I approach my work on the Committee.

I am proud of what we’ve accomplished together:

  • Strengthening financial oversight and transparency by establishing a Finance Subcommittee, improving budget consistency, and closely tracking timelines.
  • Maintaining educational quality while respecting taxpayer constraints—passing two level-service budgets within the town’s 2.5% guideline and supporting the administration through collective bargaining and the successful renewal of the Hanscom contract.
  • Championing the selection and rollout of a new English Language Arts curriculum, which earned strong support from families and faculty and represents a long-term investment in teaching quality.
  • Improving School Committee processes to make meetings and materials more accessible, reduce meeting length, and encourage clearer, more data-driven reporting.

As chair during a period of significant administrative transition, I’ve focused on maintaining continuity and building strong, respectful relationships across the district and town — helping ensure smooth planning and stable support for our schools.

If re-elected, my priorities include:

  • Strengthening our shared campus vision. As the community center moves forward, we must collaborate to balance the needs of students, families, and the broader community.
  • Right-sizing resources. As Lincoln’s demographics shift, we need to track enrollment trends carefully and adjust budgets responsibly while maintaining the high educational standards families expect.
  • Consistently reporting on student achievement. We’ve made progress, and I plan to continue improving how we track student growth and clearly identify areas where additional support is needed.
  • Making equity concrete. Lincoln values equity and inclusion, and the School Committee must translate those values into tangible decisions — from curriculum to resource allocation — so every student has the opportunity to succeed.

I’ll be hosting several meet-and-greets and would love to connect. Please feel free to reach out to me anytime at mmadrick@gmail.com. Thank you for your consideration. I would be honored to continue serving the Lincoln community. As a reminder, Election Day in Lincoln is March 30, 2026!

“My Turn” is a forum for readers to offer their letters to the editor or views on any subject of interest to other Lincolnites. Submissions must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. Items will be edited for punctuation, spelling, style, etc., and will be published at the discretion of the editor. Submissions containing personal attacks, errors of fact, or other inappropriate material will not be published.

Christmas bomb threat to Lincoln, Hanscom Schools

The Lincoln School (photo from Lincoln Public Schools website)

On Christmas morning, there was a bomb threat to the Lincoln Public Schools, resulting in a thorough search of both the Lincoln and Hanscom campuses.

According to a Dec. 25 letter to staff and parents from Superintendent of Schools Parry Graham, after a faculty member received the bomb threat visa email and reported it to police, Lincoln police immediately began an investigation, conducted exterior sweeps of the buildings, and activated a regional response through the Northeastern Massachusetts Law Enforcement Council (NEMLEC), the Massachusetts State Police, and the Hanscom Air Force Base Security Forces.

“The threat was non-specific and from a sender with no known connection to our schools,” Graham wrote.

“Given the non-specific nature of the threat, a lack of connection to our schools, and other indicators, our law enforcement partners have assessed that there is no immediate safety threat,” Graham wrote to staff and parents in a Dec. 28 follow-up email. “Out of an abundance of caution, Hanscom Air Force Base Security Forces and the Massachusetts State Police conducted K-9 inspections of both the Hanscom School and the Lincoln School, as well as the Hartwell Building, including Magic Garden. Nothing of concern was found and the schools and buildings have been cleared for staff and students to return.”

The Lincoln Police Department and school administration are “actively investigating the incident,” according to police.

My Turn: FELS donations make a difference to teachers and students

Dear LSRHS families and the communities of Lincoln and Sudbury,

As the mornings grow cooler and our students step into the rhythm of new classes and schedules, a new semester is underway at L-S, complete with new courses, new teachers, and new opportunities for growth.

As we support our students through this important transition, the faculty and staff at LSRHS are also hard at work applying their creativity, innovation, and wisdom to provide an environment where our students will thrive. Given the significant role these leaders play in our students’ lives and learning, it’s fitting that we also consider how to best support them.

Rooted in the belief that “Inspired Teachers Inspire Students,” the Foundation for Educators at Lincoln-Sudbury (FELS) is a nonprofit organization that awards enrichment grants to L-S faculty and staff to pursue their professional and personal interests and passions.Since 2000, FELS has awarded more than 100 grants to deserving LSRHS educators and staff, providing close to $200,000 in funding.

FELS grants have contributed to experiences ranging from swimming with whale sharks and creating a documentary film to exploring advanced photography techniques and partaking in an immersive foreign language experience overseas. Whether recipients choose to develop a personal interest, pursue a new challenge, or explore parts unknown, these impactful experiences reignite passions and provide inspiration in ways that pay big dividends in the classroom.

To help support the faculty and staff who work tirelessly to support our LSRHS students, please consider supporting FELS and the LS faculty and staff again this school year to help us meet our $10,000 2025-26 fundraising goal. Donations can be made online or by check mailed to: FELS c/o LSRHS, 390 Lincoln Road, Sudbury MA 01776.

Please visit our website, www.felsgrant.org, to learn more, review our grant history, and see our 2025-26 schedule of events including our Thanksgiving Pie Sale in October and Prom Flowers Sale in the spring. Thank you for investing in our LS faculty and staff and their continued growth and development!

The FELS 2025-2026 board:

Nancy Marshall, Co-President
Tara Mitchell, Co-President
Nancy Donaldson, Vice President
Ginger Reiner, Treasurer
Ruth-Anne Adams
Desiree Butter
Carolyn Dwyer
Kelly Gaudreau, Faculty
MaryAnn McCormick
Tristram Oakley
Sylvia Perry
 
Congratulations to our 2025 FELS Grant recipients!

Celebrating its 25th year last year, FELS, the Foundation for Educators at Lincoln-Sudbury has awarded close to 100 grants to Lincoln-Sudbury faculty and staff, totaling nearly $200,000.

  • Rebecca Mayer (English), “How to Connect”
  • Suanne Peterson (FATA), “Encaustic and Cyanotype Workshop”
  • Dennis Phillips (IT), “Twenty with Appreciation”
  • Susan Shields (Assoc. Principal), “Ma Francaise”
  • Brendan Wimberley (SpEd), “Pitch to the Classroom”

As shared by some of our 2025 FELS Grant recipients on their experiences:

Suanne Peterson’s skunk cyanotype

“In my workshop we waxed cyanotypes to wooden panels and then built up layers of colored wax. This skunk image is more straightforward with wax to seal it to the board and some gold powder around the edges. The dandelion has some areas with colored wax. I loved the process. Thank you, FELS!”

— Suanne Peterson (FATA faculty), “Encaustic and Cyanotype Workshop”

Brian Wimberley with his “think, pair, share” group.

“I had an amazing experience at the World Rugby L2 Coaching Clinic. My supervising educator, Martha Daines, former head coach of the USA Women’s National Team and current director of the Women’s High Performance Program, really pushed me as a coach in ways I hadn’t been pushed in 13 years. Here’s a picture of me with my ‘think, pair, share’ group.

— Brendan Wimberley (SpEd faculty), “Pitch to the Classroom”

Lincoln School lower grades change mascot to Foxes

The new Lincoln Foxes mascot for grades K-4 as created by Canva.

The lower grades at the Lincoln School are now the Lincoln Foxes rather than the Lincoln Knights, ending a winding process that began more than three years ago.

In the 2021-22 school year, school principals Sharon Hobbs (grades 5-8) and Sarah Collmer (grades K-4) surveyed the entire Lincoln School community to solicit feedback about whether the Lincoln School should have a new mascot. They got 482 responses from students, staff, parents and caregivers, and based on the results, they decided to go ahead. That spring, students and staff submitted suggestions for the new mascot.

In spring 2022, the school shared results on the survey with the school community. Responses cited “several positive characteristics as a reason to keep the knight: character, truth, honor, kindness, humility, self-discipline; they are protectors, brave, strong, they persevere, and show integrity, to name a few… One described how the knight chess piece is ‘a dynamic player’ that can move in unique ways and are ‘free thinkers, not pawns on the chessboard of life… willing to move outside the logical player pieces within a community and for the better of all’,” Collmer wrote in a letter to the school community.

But others said they didn’t see how the knight represents the grade K-4 CARES values (cooperation, assertion, responsibility, empathy, self-control) or the grade 5-8 4Cs (communication, commitment, cooperation, care).

“Many do not relate to the masculine, violent, or ‘scary’ characteristics of the knight. Commenters noted that the knight’s sword “is not a very friendly vibe when you walk into the building” and that ‘armoring oneself or hiding behind your armor’ doesn’t fit with ”being inclusive, more open, breaking down barriers, putting down our armor, seeing one another fully and celebrating what we see’,” Collmer wrote.

Despitr the split opinions, Lincoln School administrators decided to go ahead because the majority of respondents were in favor and “the most compelling feedback was around the alignment of our values and the desire to find a more inclusive mascot.”

Efforts were put on hold during the transition from modular classrooms to the newly renovated school building in summer and fall 2022. Then there was another delay in 2023 when Hobbs retired and Jay Peledge became the grade 5-8 principal. But in the meantime, grades 5-8 decided they wanted to continue having the knight as the mascot.

Finally, in September 2024, a staff team reviewed the mascot submissions from 2022 and narrowed it down to four that can be found right here in Lincoln: fox, salamander, owl, or monarch. In September after a student vote.

“We are now the Lincoln School Foxes!” Collmer announce and September 7. “We can’t wait to bring the fox spirit into our school community in fun and meaningful ways.”

My Turn: Residents support Ryan and Morton for L-S School Committee

We write in full support of Charles Morton and Jack Ryan, both candidates in a contested race for two vacant at-large seats on the Lincoln-Sudbury Regional School Committee (LSSC). Please make an effort to get to know them both and meet Jack and Charles before Lincoln Town Meeting on Saturday, March 29, and to vote for both of them at the polls on Monday, March 31 in the Reed Gym.

How Lincoln turns out to vote on March 31 will critically impact the final outcome for our shared high school. In past elections, Lincoln has been the deciding block of votes in the election for LSSC members.

Lincoln-Sudbury Regional High School is one of three things for most Lincolnites: it’s a full-on enigma to families with children younger than eighth grade; it’s the most frequently taken seven-to-25-minute daily driving route for families with high school-aged children; or it’s a wistful glimpse in the rear-view mirror for those who have LSRHS graduates who are “grown and flown.” Much of this has to do with LSRHS not being right here in Lincoln, where daily life is focused on much that is more local. It also has to do with most teens being given more freedom to grow, flourish, and learn a great deal from personal success and occasional failure.

When election time rolls around, reminders are needed of (1) the critical and special value LSRHS has in preparing our high schoolers for life after graduation, and (2) the impact of our vote for School Committee members who will serve the LSRHS students and broader communities’ best interests.

We support Charles Morton (CharlesMorton.com) because:

  • He comes with a strong academic background and is an academic by profession, and he has a deep understanding of the wide array of learners and continued need for a wide array of programs at LSRHS to educate and support those learners.
  • He understands that LSRHS is not a cookie-cutter high school; it is incredibly innovative in its curriculum and encourages teachers to be their best selves in crafting and implementing curriculum.
  • Charles is in it for the long haul, with four children who will attend LSRHS between 2026 and 2036. He chose to live in Sudbury because of LSRHS.
  • He grasps the value and perspective of all communities who are part of LSRHS, Lincoln, Sudbury, and Boston.

We support Jack Ryan (RyanforLS.com) because:

  • Jack’s institutional memory of LSRHS from his prior tenure on the L-S School Committee will serve all of us well, particularly since all the remaining members on the LSSC have served for two years or less. He has remained connected and has two grandchildren preparing to attend LSRHS.
  • Jack has a 360-degree lens on so much of Sudbury, our vital partner at LSRHS. A retired lawyer, he has an ongoing list of almost four decades of volunteer service in Sudbury, serving on the Sudbury Finance Committee, on the LSSC for four terms, and as chair of the L-S Building Committee for the now 20-year-old LSRHS, as well as myriad other civic organizations.
  • Jack knows and respects Lincoln’s partnership in our shared high school. He will work collaboratively with both towns to solve problems, craft policy, and report out to constituents.
  • Jack is also committed to serving Lincoln, Sudbury, and Boston in his work on the LSSC.

Both Jack and Charles are committed to putting in the time and hard work of being a School Committee member. Their skill sets and perspectives are distinct from each other but complementary. Particularly in these days of uncertainty around funding for public education, these candidates both want to hold steady what is valued and critical for our high school children, in line with LSRHS’s four core values:

  • Fostering caring and cooperative relationships
  • Respecting human differences
  • Pursuing academic excellence
  • Cultivating community

Please remember to vote for Charles and Jack next Monday and reach out to friends and neighbors and encourage them to do the same. Thank you!

This letter reflects the personal views of those named below. Any below-named person who also holds elected or appointed office in Lincoln is expressing their personal view, not the view of the committee(s)/board(s) on which they participate.

Abigail Adams
Murat Arslan
Alex Benik
Becky Bermont
Hans Bitter
Rebecca Blanchfield
John Bordiuk
Brian Burns
Ted Chan
Nancy Donaldson
Michelle Doyle
Joe Doyle
Carolyn Dwyer
Jonathan Dwyer
Kristen Ferris
John Ferris
Nancy Finke
Jim Fleming
Nancy Fleming
Trintje Gnazzo
Andy Gnazzo
Laura Cuozzo Guarnotta
Brian Jalet
Kim Jalet
Joan Kimball
John Kimball
Jonathan Light
Sara Lupkas
Feyza Marouf
Nancy Marshall
Peyton Marshall
Sally Maulsby
Libby Maynard
Nick Maynard
John Mendelson
DJ Mitchell
Kenny Mitchell
Matt Mitchell
Tara Mitchell
Staci Montori
Brooks Mostue
Tris Oakley
Patty Mostue
Joe O’Connor
Tony O’Connor
Kara Prince
Ginger Reiner
Kurt Reiner
Cathy Rogers
Aldis Russell
Barbara Slayter
Vicky Slingerland
Anne Sobol
Jonathan Soo
Kara Soo
Rob Stringer
Chris Taylor
Gary Taylor
Laura Taylor
Susan Taylor
Peter Van Winkle
Prudy Van Winkle
Krystal Wood
Jen Zeis
Louis Zipes
Tanya Zipes

“My Turn” is a forum for readers to offer their letters to the editor or views on any subject of interest to other Lincolnites. Submissions must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. Items will be edited for punctuation, spelling, style, etc., and will be published at the discretion of the editor. Submissions containing personal attacks, errors of fact, or other inappropriate material will not be published.

Students get a taste of financial realities at educational fair

State Rep. Carmine Gentile visited the Reality Fair. Left to right: teachers Kathleen Thompson and Kate Grant, Ravi Simon (Gentile’s aide, also an L-S alum and L-S School Committee member), Gentile, and Superintendent/Principal Andrew Stephens. See more photos below.

High school seniors have a lot to think about as they prepare for post-graduation life, not the least of which is money. Thanks to the annual Reality Fair, L-S seniors can get a head start on managing their personal finances.

At the interactive simulation (held this year on March 14), students start by choosing an occupation they hope to have by the age of 25. Based on that information, the Credit for Life software on a laptop they carry around automatically fills in their expected gross and net annual and monthly pay. From there, they visit booths with information on things like housing, education and training, food and nutrition, transportation, vacations, and pet ownership. They make “purchases” using cash, credit, or savings as they learn about what things cost, how much credit card companies charge, and how much they can accrue for retirement given their monthly contributions. The software keeps the students updated on their overall expenses and credit score so they can see the long-term results of their spending decisions.

For several months before it takes place, math teachers Kate Grant and Kathleen Thompson (with help from the LSPO and community sponsors) plan the fair, which includes doing everything from recruiting volunteers to fundraising for gift cards and food. This is the fourth year they’ve done it as an adjunct to the Financial Literacy course they teach. Thompson organized Reality Fairs at her previous post in Wayland. Students tend to enjoy the event; “they say it was way more fun than they thought it would be,” she said.

Many other schools (usually with the help of sponsors from banks and other businesses) state the fairs, “but we kind of put our own spin on it,” Thompson said. New this year, students also have to practice networking by talking with an adult at each booth about their career plans — dozens of volunteers from the community who man the booths and share information about their profession.

“The kids are really into it — they ask some really great questions,” said Diahanne Lucas, who works full time for WGBH but shared her experiences working part-time for extra money at Gillette Stadium.

Also unique to L-S was “Wheel of Reality,” probably the most popular booth, where participants spun a wheel and answered questions in hopes of winning gift cards. For example, they might have to locate a piece of information on a credit card statement or identify which of several text messages is actually from a scammer.

Many of the students were surprised at how much they’d need to shell out every month for things like food, rent, and streaming services, as well as how they expected to pay for them. “I thought I’d be using savings or a credit card more, but [I learned] I don’t need to go into debt,” said Annika Zurn, a Sudbury resident who plans to become a physical therapist.

“It surprised me how much you’ll get in interest if you start saving early for retirement — there’s so much more money in the end,” said Bella Chidziva of Sudbury, an aspiring nurse.

“Kate and I feel it’s our favorite day of the year,” Thompson said. “I’m fortunate to work in a place that supports this type of event and education.”

Click on photos below for larger versions and captions:

fair-wheel
fair-twogirls2
fair-screen
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Planning Board, LSSC candidates take questions at PTO forum

(Editor’s note: After this story was published, a video of the forum was uploaded to the Lincoln TV website and can be viewed here.)

Five candidates for local office took questions at a March 24 PTO forum about the issues likely to confront the Planning Board and Lincoln-Sudbury School Committee (LSSC).

The forum featured candidates from the two contested races on the ballot for Lincoln’s March 31 election. Incumbent Chair Margaret Olson, Rob Ahlert, and Susan Hall Mygatt are vying for two open seats on the Planning Board. Jack Ryan and Charles Morton of Sudbury are in a race for two openings on the LSSC along with fellow Subury resident Eric Poch, who did not appear at the forum. 

Neither Mygatt nor Ahlert were in favor of the Housing Choice Act (HCA) rezoning measure that was approved at Town Meeting in March 2024. It was the most controversial and hard-fought issue in Lincoln since the extended debate on the school project.

“Town leaders with best intentions rushed the HCA through and caused some damage that was unfortunate,” Mygatt said. “We should have had more time… there were people who didn’t feel listened to.” However, she added, “I personally would not lead a charge to make any changes” at this point.

“I was wanting us to take a little more time and be a little more careful about the choice of parcels [included in the rezoning] but I always wanted us to be compliant,” Ahlert said. “Now I want to focus on if and when these developers start making proposals, I have a seat at the table.”

“Last year was a painful year shepherding that through our town process. There was a great deal of disagreement, but I think we wound up in a good place” with a measure that’s “in the spirit of the [state] law and as narrow as we can make it,” Olson said.

A major future issue, of course, is what the town will do when a developer inevitably submits a plan for a major project involving the mall and additional housing. Although the revised zoning bylaw includes mandatory design guidelines, “there’s a lot of loose language” there, Ahlert said. “What can we do if a majority of people don’t like [the appearance of a proposed development]? I think the answer is going to be ‘not a lot’.”

It’s probable that those design guidelines will be amended after the Planning Board deals with the first project to which they apply. When writing them, “we did our best in the absence of specific examples and knowledge,” Olson said.

Another issue on the more distant horizon is more zoning mandates from the state to alleviate the housing crisis. Last month, the state Commission on Unlocking Housing Production issued a report with dozens of recommendations including a proposal to abolish rules allowing only single-family housing in certain neighborhoods and allow two-family homes by right on all residential lots in Massachusetts. The City of Cambridge recently abolished its single-family residential zoning requirement, as have several states.

Olson estimated that actual mandates for cities and towns are probably five to 10 years off, “but it does indicate a direction… as a town we need to start thinking and start forming opinions.”

“It’s the HCA on steroids,” Ahlert said, but “I think we should wait and see what happens and not try to solve the problem ahead of time, but we should start talking about it.”

“I have a much more proactive attitude on this,” Mygatt said. Ending single-family zoning would have a huge impact on traffic, schools, town budgets and more. Although the state legislature moves slowly, “once the HCA came down, it came down without regulations and we weren’t ready.”

Asked how rules could be improved to protect trees and natural habitat, Olson answered, “development of any kind is not where the problem is. The problem is climate change and how do we adjust to that.” Compared to towns like Concord and Wellesley, Lincoln’s regulations are “much less protective of trees,” said Mygatt, who chairs the Tree Preservation Study Group. However, concrete proposals are probably several years away, she added.

To better inform the public about upcoming zoning issues, Mygatt and Ahlert recommended coffees or educational forums to offer background on topics such as accessory dwelling units or nonconforming lots. But rather than have more forums and meetings, Olson urged residents to “come to the ones we have.” A consistent problem for the Planning Board and other groups is that “the town wakes up to the fact there’s an issue two to three months before Town Meeting [so] there’s a limited amount we can do” if the issue is especially complicated except postpone a vote until the following year, but that’s not always possible.

Lincoln-Sudbury School Committee

Ryan brings experience, having served on the LSSC from 1998–2010, as chair of the L-S Building Committee, and as a member of Sudbury’s Finance Committee member. “My drive to return is because of my concern about what is going on in Washington and what impact that may have on education here — not just in the Commonwealth but at L-S and in Lincoln and Sudbury,” he said. 

Morton, a professor of chemistry at Brown University, has four children in the Sudbury schools. Lincoln-Sudbury “has aspects of a college that we want to preserve; it’s not a cookie cutter place,” he said. “It’s a magic place where I can make sure the committee is enabling the superintendent and principal and teachers to keep delivering a product we’re all very proud of.”

Both candidates agreed that the specter of budget cuts due to federal measures as well as declining local enrollment is the biggest challenge facing the high school. Some parents have pushed for more AP classes; “that could be done, but at the expense of electives that don’t exist at other schools,” Morton said. The L-S staff and administration are already preparing for reductions that may threaten electives, services and activities

“I don’t know what’s going to happen… but we have to make sure we account for every single student and make sure not a single student is left behind,” Ryan said.

My Turn: Lepage asks for votes for School Committee

By Ken Lepage

My name is Ken Lepage and I am a candidate for the open position on the Lincoln K-8 School Committee. Our family moved to Lincoln in 2021 and we have developed a deep attachment to this town that has made me desire to make a more significant contribution to our community. We have a son, Ian, who will be starting kindergarten in the Lincoln Public Schools next year, and having a role in helping to shape the goals and policies of the schools in order to continue to provide excellent and equitable education for Lincoln’s students is of great interest to me. 

I am a lawyer and currently serve as general counsel, chief compliance officer, and chief sustainability officer for Watts Water Technologies, Inc. based in North Andover. I have worked at Watts for over 21 years; during that time, I have also twice served as chief human resources officer in addition to my other roles. Watts is a global manufacturer of plumbing, heating, and water quality products.  Prior to joining Watts, I was with the law firm of Hale and Dorr LLP (now known as WilmerHale) in Boston, where I practiced corporate and securities law.

At Watts, I regularly provide guidance to and interact with our board of directors, and I am familiar with the distinctions between the role of management, such as a school superintendent, and the role of a governing board, such as the School Committee, and I respect that distinction. I have reviewed the recently adopted School Committee goals for 2024-2025 and am supportive of those goals, and I appreciate that they are clear, achievable, and trackable. I am collegial and a team player, and I believe that to be most effective and do our best work, that the members of the School Committee should support each other and work together for the common good of Lincoln’s students and families. I am respectful of the opinions of others and do not believe that differences of opinion should be taken personally.

Finally, as a Lincoln resident, I am mindful that the school budget takes up a significant portion of the taxes we all pay, and that it is important to balance maintaining an excellent educational curriculum with the costs we ask our taxpayers to bear.

I hope this has helped you get a sense of my potential contributions to the School Committee. I ask for your support in the upcoming town election.

Ken Lepage lives at 148 Sandy Pond Road in Lincoln.

“My Turn” is a forum for readers to offer their letters to the editor or views on any subject of interest to other Lincolnites. Submissions must be signed with the writer’s name and street address and sent via email to lincolnsquirrelnews@gmail.com. Items will be edited for punctuation, spelling, style, etc., and will be published at the discretion of the editor. Submissions containing personal attacks, errors of fact, or other inappropriate material will not be published.