Lincoln-Sudbury School Committee Hears Violence Prevention Report, Readies Budget Vote

LINCOLN — January 26, 2016 — Lincoln-Sudbury School Committee hears MVP anti-violence program named statewide model, braces for budget vote. The committee, meeting January 26 in Lincoln, received a presentation from Mentors in Violence Prevention coordinator Lori Hoden and student leader Lizzie Alba on the program's in-house Courage to Care Healthy Relationship Summit, held December 18, 2015, which drew 200 Lincoln-Sudbury students to breakout sessions on relationship violence, gender roles, and social media safety. Hoden told the committee that Lincoln-Sudbury's MVP team has been designated the model program for a statewide initiative funded by a $1.5 million investment from Patriots owner Bob Kraft and $150,000 from Attorney General Maura Healey's office, reaching 90 Massachusetts schools. On the budget front, Principal Bella Wong warned that the state's projected Chapter 70 education-aid increase of only 1.6 percent — against a 4.3 percent overall budget increase — was tighter than the district had expected, and that the committee must vote a budget by February 9 to meet Lincoln's town meeting timeline.