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In your opinion, what are two top strengths of the district and two top opportunities for improvement?
I think one of the biggest strengths that the LS district has benefited from is a long history of progressive education with a curriculum that looks to create not only academic opportunities for the students and community, but the development of individual decision-making with perspective. The other benefit is a district supported by two fantastic communities who have nothing but the best interests of their children in mind and are accepting of a wide range of curriculum and pursuits. With respect to areas for improvement, I think the school needs to continuously evaluate its balance of offerings. Core academic curriculum, AP, electives, and athletics all challenge each other for limited financial resources. The other evaluation that must continue a consistent basis is considering the new trends and challenges that our student population faces to ensure that we’re providing support, advice, and the resources they need to make decisions and develop their future selves.
What unique perspective would you bring to the L-S school committee?
I’ll bring a host of unique experiences to the L-S School Committee (LSSC) including but not limited to 1) being the only current and recent parent of (5) LS students running in this election; 2) Shared experiences with my children and support for the many fantastic L-S programs from study abroad to athletics; 3) I have served on many Town groups from Planning Board to being the current FinCom liaison to the LSSC bringing direct relevance to navigating the Town Budget process and advocating for the school at Town Meeting; and 4) I have many connections with students, parents and the community having worn many “hats” in our community. I enjoy listening to and helping to inform others about current events and decisions we need to make to secure a better future.
With ongoing budget pressures and nuanced funding arrangements (for example, the shared cost allocation between Lincoln and Sudbury), what approaches would you take to ensure fiscal stability while still investing in educational priorities?
As a member of the Finance Committee for the last seven years (Chair for five), I am intimately familiar with the difficulties and challenges that the Lincoln Sudbury budget process creates for the district and both towns. In Sudbury over the last few years, we have begun to focus on the multiple tiers of program requests for the school curriculums. With increased needs surfacing for the Town cost center, projected deficits in the budgets for fiscal years 2027 and 2028,and signaling of lower guidance for the LS budget from Sudbury, this skillset will be critical to advocate for the school programs and appropriate funding. For the budget overall, if there are new ways for us to generate more income that helps offset the school budget, we need to be creative. In this endeavor, I endorse a derivative of the Wayne Gretzky Rule (you are guaranteed to miss 100% of the shots you do not take), and that is “If you don’t ask, you don’t get!” It will be increasingly important for LS to be direct and specific in advocating for needs both current and upcoming to ensure funding doesn’t create an unnecessary override, emergency, or deficit situation.
What is your position on consolidation of school districts to form one K-12 district?
While consolidation of the districts might make sense from an administrative cost perspective, we are quite far from that becoming a reality anytime soon. Lincoln has just made a substantial capital investment in their elementary school system and neither district seems overburdened by any additional administrative costs caused by having separate districts. Besides that, the current agreement between the towns has worked well for a long time, though it now needs some updates to reflect current guidelines and state statutes. At the end of the day both Lincoln and Sudbury come together to the high school to enjoy a mutually strong and beneficial educational environment for all our children.
Given that the district serves both Lincoln and Sudbury—and includes METCO students, how would you promote equitable representation and decision making for all?
I think the school does a very good job of reaching out to the METCO student population to ensure their voices are heard and are reflected in decision-making. There is a dedicated spot for a METCO representative to speak at every LSSC meeting. This is a great opportunity for Committee members to listen to and better understand the experiences of the METCO students and their community. There is always room for improvement though. I would encourage the School Committee to move beyond setting outreach as a goal and instead establish a concrete action goals to improve engagement with the LS community in Boston.
In light of the sudden changes at the federal Department of Education, how would you plan or prepare for possible changes in federal funding and grants for Lincoln-Sudbury?
Federal support for the Department of Education is clearly waning, and we need to consider all possibilities that might result from funding being reduced or going away. Nobody has a crystal ball, however, so it is difficult to make assumptions on the possible impact more broadly. We are fortunate to have a relatively small amount of our funding derived from federal sources. The Sudbury Finance Director has informed the LSSC that existing Federal grants LS currently receives (IDEA, Title I, II, and IV) weren’t identified to be impacted by the Federal Administrations reallocations. As things develop in this area, we should collaborate with State resources and the Select Board to ensure that L-S maximizes potential funding and available resources.
How should L-S approach policies on gender inclusivity, including pronoun use and accommodations for transgender and gender nonbinary students?
The district has developed and continues to refine important policies that affirm inclusivity across gender identities and non-binary students, as well as race, religion, and other aspects of student representation, which is fantastic. Every student has a right to an education. For students to learn at their best, the school must ensure they feel safe and heard. Lincoln-Sudbury should continually review (annually?) the policies and keep them updated with guidance from legal counsel and Mass General Law. We need to support all the LGBTQ+ student population, especially those who feel marginalized or are in need of acceptance and advocacy.
What is your vision for the district in the next five years?
Over the next five years, I would like to see the school continue to develop its academic excellence but also consider very strongly the possibility of adding vocational elements, or additional STEM classes that foster advancement for those who might pursue a non-college future. Vocational education is currently under the mandate of LS and needs to be explored with the encouragement of both towns as it is an area not fully available or supported presently. Vocational opportunities have expanded significantly over the years, far beyond traditional trades. Lincoln-Sudbury should explore ways to help our students that are thinking about vocational programs and strategize how to make these opportunities more attainable.