Selectmen move to form study committees on Lincoln-Sudbury options

LINCOLN -- November 29, 2010, Lincoln Selectmen open public review of Lincoln-Sudbury high school options. About 80 residents packed Monday's meeting as the Board of Selectmen, Chair Gary Taylor, Sarah Mattes and Noah Eckhoff, solicited input on forming one or two committees to study Lincoln's options for high school education, including modifying the 56-year regional agreement, dissolution, alternative partnerships, charter or voucher arrangements. "Everything should be on the table," Eckhoff said, while urging "a gap analysis" of what has been "stripped away at L-S." Sudbury speakers pushed back: resident Rick Johnson said Sudbury contributes about $3,650 per household to L-S versus Lincoln's $2,100, and L-S School Committee member Ron Hargraves urged shared sacrifice. Town Administrator Tim Higgins also presented a preliminary FY12 town budget at 1.49 percent growth, within the Finance Committee's 2 percent guideline, including a $190,000 health insurance reduction from the MIIA transition. Draft committee charges are expected Dec. 13.