By Alice Waugh
After 17 meetings spanning six months, the School Building Advisory Committee had concluded that the school really needs everything that was outlined in Lincoln’s earlier request to the state—but that those needs can be met with an L-shaped building.
[Read more…] about Group concludes that school needs everything in building plan
By Alice Waugh
(Editor’s note: this story has been corrected to include a link to the SBAC’s final report, which previously was available only in draft form.)
The School Building Advisory Committee (SBAC) will present its final report to the School Committee tonight—a report that says Lincoln should pursue state funding for a modified “L-shaped” building and renovation project rather than a “repair only” pathway.
The School Committee meeting starts at 7 p.m. in the Hartwell Multipurpose Room with a continuation of the FY15 preliminary budget presentation. The SBAC is second on the agenda and is expected to begin around 7:45 p.m. There will be time for public questions and comments.
The SBAC was formed to discuss alternatives to the school project that failed to win the required two-thirds majority at a Special Town Meeting a year ago. Under that plan, the state would have provide $21 million for a $49 million project. Some residents subsequently called for a modified design in which the building would be L-shaped, or a more modest and inexpensive repair-only plan.
The report can be viewed and downloaded here. Among its discussion points:
The report examines two hypothetical pathways for a school project—one that assumes MSBA funding and one without such funding—though it did not go into specific plans or cost estimates for either route.
“Although the Committee’s members began their work with very different ideas about what the school buildings needed, they, after weeks of work and deliberations, reached a consensus on what the schools require. These needs are significant and expensive,” the report says. “Thus, MSBA funding is essential for the School Committee being able to implement its comprehensive plan for school facility improvements and repairs that will support educational enhancement at the Lincoln School.”
Lincoln is currently awaiting action on its latest statement of interest (SOI), the first step in applying for a grant from the MSBA. The MSBA’s board of directors is meeting today, though the posted agenda does not include Lincoln.
In an FAQ page on its website, the MSBA explains that SOIs are not considered on a first-come, first-served basis, but rather on several factors, including the “extent and urgency” of a school’s problems relative to those described in other SOIs. More than 200 schools submitted SOIs to the MSBA for consideration in fiscal 2013.
If a renewed offer of MSBA funding doesn’t materialize, “the town will be placed in a difficult position because it will not be able to address the legitimate needs of the schools in a comprehensive manner,” the SBAC report says. “What the town would be willing to pay for under these circumstances is unclear. However, what is clear is that the Town would have to do some deep soul-searching about how much it values the education of its children supported by appropriate facilities and the nexus between a high quality school system and property values.”
The SBAC explored various “repair-only” scenarios under the assumption that this approach would be less expensive than a full-fledged renovation and construction project. However, members found that “any significant repair effort would likely trigger major [building] code requirements and force very significant expenditures. A project designed as a $6 million repair could turn quickly into a repair and code compliance project easily costing $12-$14 million. A project designed to avoid triggering codes would likely not be sufficiently large in scope so as to reasonably guarantee successful and continued facility operation over the mid/long term. It would also present an increased risk of multiple emergency-type repairs,” the report says.
Another reason the SBAC rejected a repair-only pathway is that “such a project would have limited, if any, educational or security benefits.” Without MSBA funding, critical features of the previous plan would have to be eliminated as too costly, including “much-needed” cafeterias and flexible learning spaces as well as a link to the Reed Gym; improvement to the second- and third-grade space; special-needs improvements; improved lighting, air quality and acoustics; and a solution to the ongoing problem of Smith boiler room flooding.
The SBAC looked at the possibility of having a community center tied in some way to a school project but concluded that the town isn’t far enough along in discussions about that idea.
“The committee is concerned about the needs of the schools not being addressed by the town until the town decides what, if anything, it wants to do about a community center. In the view of the committee, this places the proverbial cart before the proverbial horse. The needs of the schools are real; they need to be addressed now, not at some undetermined point in the future,” the report says.
Members of the SBAC are Doug Adams, Ken Bassett, Owen Beenhouwer, Vincent Cannistraro, Tim Christenfeld, Hathaway Russell, Steven P. Perlmutter (chair), Maggy Pietropaolo, Peter Sugar and Gary Taylor.
As they prepare to develop the 2014-15 academic calendar for the Lincoln school district, school officials are seeking ideas and recommendations from the community by various means, including at two public sessions next week.
[Read more…] about School officials seek input on 2014-15 academic calendar
The Lincoln-Sudbury School Committee has extended the contract of interim Superintendent/Principal Bella Wong through the 2014-2015 academic year at the advice of the Massachusetts Association of School Committees, which has “encouraged school districts to evaluate internal candidates in order to retain stability in leadership wherever possible” in light of a statewide staff shortage at the senior level, according to a press release from the committee. Wong has agreed not to seek a position with another district during the 2013-2014 school year. [Read more…] about L-S interim superintendent’s contract extended
Things to know about: Lincoln Junior Hikers, track work, a school building charette and more… [Read more…] about News acorns from the Lincoln Squirrel
As Lincoln ushers in a new academic year, school and town panels are scheduling their first meetings after the summer respite, starting with the School Building Advisory Committee (SBAC) on Tuesday night.
The Lincoln PTO enriches children’s education through visits by storytellers and poets, historical reenactments, Museum of Science workshops and more—and it does so with the support of hundreds of people and organizations including the PTO Community Partners, who each donated at least $1,000 apiece in 2012-13 as part of their commitment to the parents, students and the rest of the Lincoln community. Top contributors this year included Lincoln businesses Barrett and Co., Doherty’s Garage, Donelan’s Supermarket and Fitness Together, as well as AKA Bistro, Cambridge Trust Co., Premier Cleaners and Tailors, and Lexington orthodontist Yuci Ma.
Click on an image below for larger version and caption:
Donelan’s has been in Lincoln since 1976, when Joe Donelan and his brother started working there when the store opened. (The six-store chain was started by their parents in 1948.) They’ve supported the PTO for years, and they were pleased and grateful for the support they got in return from residents, who flocked to the store in drives after it reopened in in May 2012 following 15 months of reconstruction work following a snow-related roof collapse.
“When the chips are down, people band together,” said Joe Donelan, corporate vice president of Donelan’s Supermarkets. “Everyone has been fantastic.” Donelan showed the same kind of loyalty to his Lincoln employees, none of whom were laid off following the collapse (they all worked at one of the other five Donelan’s stores until Lincoln reopened).
Donelan’s also participates in a program whereby the PTO collects register receipts saved by parents and gives them to the school to redeem for educational supplies via the Register Tapes for Education program (see related story).
“A strong community starts with a strong school system, and the quality of the school system goes hand in hand with the quality of the real estate,” said Laurie Cadigan, owner of Barrett and Co. “We’re very happy to be in this community and we’re all about giving back.”
Doherty’s Garage has been operating in Lincoln since 1905, “and our primary focus has always been on supporting the community,” said Cindy Doherty Murphy, granddaughter of the funding Doherty’s who now runs the business with her husband Dennis Murphy. “When the town requires something, we’re happy to give back.”
“At the end of the day, we just want to help and get involved in the community,” said Brian Lowe, owner since 2009 of the town’s Fitness Together franchise. “It’s a way for me to give back while I develop my business.”
Kids and teachers will see some new items in the Lincoln School next year as a result of the PTO redeeming several months’ worth of collected Donelan’s grocery receipts.
[Read more…] about Donelan’s receipts bring in goodies for schools
By Alice Waugh
As Lincoln girds for a second go-round on trying to get a school building project approved by voters, the School Committee is creating a School Building Project Citizen Advisory Committee (CAC) and is seeking volunteers for that new group.
[Read more…] about Citizen advisory committee to offer “pathways” for school project
Showing off their display on the science of musical instruments at the Science Share were (left to right), Hannah Bodnar, Josie Sullivan, Allie Schwartz, Meghan Hobbs, team parent Mia Katz, Noa Katz and Alexandre White.
Teams of students and their coaches had a great time showing off their work at the Lincoln School’s seventh annual Science Share for kids in grades K-4. Leading up to the April 8 event, which aims to ignite children’s interest in science, volunteers helped teams of kids learn about a science topic of their choice, doing research and building a display for the Science Share.