Hi all,
I am the parent of three young children who attend the Lincoln Public School. My wife and I moved to Lincoln right before my eldest was born in large part because we believed our children would receive a strong public education. I went to a great public school in NY and there’s no good reason why Lincoln shouldn’t have one too. I want to thank Karla for sending her letter to the community. If you haven’t read it, please do. It confirms much of what I have observed through my children's own experiences. The data, both academic and otherwise, is clear: our school is underperforming our outsized investment. *We overspend every town nearly 2:1 to achieve results no better than our neighbors.* In 2012, Lincoln K-8 educated 500 children who lived in Lincoln, In 2022 we were down to 412 students from Lincoln, a reduction of 20 percent. *During that time, our K-8 school expenses have gone up the maximum allowed, or around 2.5% annually without an override*. In 2014 we had 31 K-8 sections, in 2023 with 20% fewer Lincoln students, we still have 31 K-8 sections. Moreover, almost all other school districts in the Commonwealth are anticipating further enrollment declines. For instance, in Newton, MA, they are planning for a 5% decline in enrollment between 2021 and 2026. With Lincoln's high tax burden and high home costs, it is reasonable to assume further enrollment declines. *With academic results currently no better than our neighbors, why do we continue to overspend on our school when our enrollment continues to decline? Have we reached the point to start to right-size our school expenses to lower the tax burden to our community? * *It is clear our community needs to reform our school so the level of results corresponds to our level of investment.* I am glad to hear we already have three candidates competing for two open seats in the School Committee. I want to thank Matina, Jake, and Adam for their generosity in running for this volunteer role. I hope to use this public forum to ask them a very straightforward question: Matina, Jake and Adam, as you are all running for the School Committee, *could you please share your ideas that will * *a) reduce the fiscal burden of our schools, * *b) improve the educational experience of our students, in ways that translate both into better academic outcomes and higher student engagement?* I look forward to all of your responses. Best of luck to you all. Peter Buchthal 71 Weston Rd
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