Editor’s note: The author of this letter, Jennifer Glass, is chair of the School Committee. She is running unopposed for reelection on March 31.

To the editor:

At the March 29 Annual Town Meeting, one of the warrant articles citizens will be asked to consider is whether or not they will approve funds to study a range of Lincoln School renovation choices. Following is some information about the warrant article.

Article 11: The School Committee is requesting that up to $250,000 be withdrawn from the Stabilization Fund to be used for commissioning cost estimates for a range of potential Lincoln School renovation projects.  

Up to $200,000 would be used to contract design and cost-estimating services. $50,000 would be held in reserve in case unexpected study services are required. The funding for the warrant would come from money already put aside by the town, and would not increase property taxes.

Q:  Why is the School Committee asking for this money?

A:  The last major renovation of the school was in 1994. At that time, the library link and kindergarten classrooms were built, and some renovations were made to the Smith building. However, Brooks was not renovated, and the entire Lincoln School has reached a point where the basic infrastructure of the building needs renovation: 

• The “Univent” heating system is inefficient, distracting, and difficult to regulate.
• The Smith boiler room is below ground and prone to flooding; the four boilers are 20-40 years old.
• The Brooks smoke stack is deteriorating and needs replacement.
• The roof is at the end of its useful life. It has been patched and re-seamed, but will need replacement.
• Windows/window walls: About half of the windows are still single-pane glass and/or in uninsulated wood framing.
• Reed Gym exterior wall panels are porous and need replacement.
• Plumbing/drinking water: Some plumbing fixtures require high water usage and some new piping is required to deliver potable water if drinking fountains are to be reinstalled (currently the school uses bottled water). When fixtures are replaced, walls must be opened as new fixtures require a different interface with piping.

There are additional renovations that would improve the educational environment:

• Cafeteria/kitchen—Currently students use half of each gym for lunch, making them unavailable for physical education classes for about three hours a day. The size of the kitchen facilities makes it challenging to prepare fresh foods; all meals must be served using disposable dishes, utensils and trays.
• Original Smith Building (1948) and second-grade classrooms (1955)—the second-grade classrooms are inadequately sized, and the 1948 building is not constructed in a way that is today considered adequate for a public building.
• Special education and support spaces—spaces have been carved out of hallways or closets, are inadequately sized and sometimes not ventilated. Also, there are students who specifically require environments that are temperature controlled (for heat and cold) and have good acoustics and lighting. It would be helpful to have at least one classroom at each elementary grade level that meets all those requirements.
• Spaces for differentiated learning—It is important to have smaller spaces where groups of students can work together while remaining under the supervision of teachers. Currently, unsupervised hallways are frequently used for this purpose. 

Q:  How will the money be spent?

A:  The money will be used to get cost estimates for a number of renovation concepts, ranging in scope from the most urgent repairs to a comprehensive renovation (including limited new construction) that would address both infrastructure and educational needs. All solutions will keep the building in its current, “L-shaped” configuration.

For each of the concepts, we must consider the following:

• Swing space—where will students learn while work is being done? For how long and at what cost? Should we collaborate with the proposed Community Center Study to look at solutions that might serve both purposes?
• Code compliance—concepts must address code issues such as fire suppression/safety, accessibility, snow load, and seismic stability.
• What is the life span of the proposed work? What is the value for what we are spending?

Q:  What about state funding? Is the $21 million from the state still available?

A:  After the failed 2012 school project vote, the town forfeited the $21 million. Lincoln reapplied for state funding from the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) in April 2013, but was not invited back into the funding pipeline.

• The School Committee decided not to reapply to the MSBA in 2014 in order to take time to determine if that is the direction the town wishes to go. Demonstrated town support is important to an application’s success.
• In February, the School Committee, Finance Committee, Capital Planning Committee, and Board of Selectmen held a joint public meeting. The School Committee noted that only a renovation that addresses all of the infrastructure and educational needs would be eligible for MSBA funding. 
• The boards received feedback from the community that it wanted to be given a range of renovation options before deciding whether or not to reapply to the MSBA.

Q:  What happens next?

A:  If the warrant article passes at Town Meeting, the Lincoln Public Schools will hire a firm capable of refining the five concepts and providing cost estimates. The School Committee is committed to community participation, and will seek public input throughout the process. When the study is complete, the committee will ask the town to vote on which concept it would like to develop into a renovation project, and, if relevant, whether or not the town would like to reapply for state funding.

Sincerely,

Jennifer Glass
11 Stonehedge

---

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.