Lincoln School Committee recognizes AFSCME food services unit in unanimous vote

LINCOLN -- February 9, 2023, Lincoln formalizes AFSCME food services unit and shelves instructional coaching plan. The School Committee on Feb. 9 unanimously approved voluntary recognition of AFSCME as the exclusive bargaining representative for district food service workers, including kitchen managers, with documentation set for the Massachusetts Department of Labor Relations. In the same meeting, the current superintendent asked the committee to withdraw a previously approved FY24 budget request for districtwide instructional coaching, citing the need to let incoming Superintendent Dr. Parry Graham conduct a needs assessment first. "I do not feel that this is the right time to move this initiative forward," she said. A revised preliminary budget returns Feb. 27. The committee also approved a warrant totaling $1,525,672.87, heard that 19 applications and eight finalist interviews are advancing the Lincoln 5-8 principal search, and reported an 81 percent response rate on a new staff pulse check survey across roughly 288 employees.