Lincoln School Committee interviews two finalists for 5-8 principal post

LINCOLN -- March 9, 2023, Lincoln School Committee interviews two principal finalists and awards three-year bus contract. The committee on Thursday interviewed Jason "Jay" Pledge, a former Hanscom social studies teacher, and Ben Niles, head of school at Community Day Charter Public School, for the Lincoln School 5-8 principal position; Superintendent Becky McFall said a decision will follow reference checks by search consultant Perry Graham within a week. Members unanimously awarded Doherty's Garage a three-year transportation contract at roughly a 4 percent increase, waiving the performance-bond requirement, and approved warrants of $1,072,290.09 and $1,803,760.51. METCO Representative Kim Mack pressed administrators on a 15-percentage-point drop among Black students in the "two grade levels below" math band, saying "while the data is being collected, students are falling behind. We have to act." The committee also seated outgoing member Tara Mitchell as the School Committee's School Building Committee representative through the project's summer close-out.