Officials push Lincoln High School project with website

Site launched to detail plans for Lincoln High School renovations

LINCOLN – The Lincoln High School Renovation Committee Friday launched a new website dedicated to sharing information about the proposed high school renovation project.

The site, at www.renovation.lincolnps.org, will provide updates on the project as well as reports, documentation, and architectural renderings as the project moves forward

“This renovation will be a project the entire town can be proud of,” said Schools Superintendent Georgia Fortunato. “The new website will help keep the public informed and give them a transparent look into how the project is developing.”

The Lincoln High School Renovation Committee is composed of town and school officials, Town Council and School Committee members, and parents. Work to date includes documenting all aspects of the 61-year-old building, including roofing, electrical, entrances and exits, heating, flooring, accessibility, educational programming, traffic patterns, parking space, perimeter fencing, doors, windows, and ventilation.

Two public hearings on the architectural analysis of the existing building are being held review the findings and recommendations of the planning team. The hearings will be held Jan. 14 and Feb. 4 at 6:30 p.m. at the high school.

The junior high school building dates back 61 years, the high school was built 51 years ago. In 1964, an addition was built on to the senior high school, a connector was added in 1970, and a two-story addition was constructed in 1995.

“The needs of our students have changed quite a bit in the past 50 years,” Fortunato said. “The way we teach has changed dramatically, and so too has building safety code, access, heating, roofing, and flooring.”

The goal, school officials say, is to update the high school, make it much more energy efficient, safer, and improve the work environment for students and teachers alike.

“We’re excited about the renovation of the high school,” said School Committee Chairwoman Kristine Donabedian. “We’ve made this a priority so the whole community can have a flagship facility that serves our students and the interests and culture of our town. This will be a project the entire

town can be proud of and we’re looking forward to hearing the suggestions and perspectives of Lincoln’s residents.”

Work to date includes documenting all aspects of the building, including roofing, electrical, entrances and exits, heating, flooring, accessibility, educational programming, traffic patterns, parking space, perimeter fencing, doors, windows, and ventilation.

“These renovations will meet the needs of not only the students, but the community as well,” said School

Committeewoman and High School Improvement Study Committee co-Chairwoman Julie Zito. “With the guidance of the educational consultant, the upgrades will provide enhanced learning environments and allow the school to operate more efficiently.”

“As a 1991 graduate of Lincoln High School, a parent of three school age children, the District 1 town councilman, and co-chair of the High School Improvement Study Committee, I would encourage all residents to attend the upcoming public forums,” said Arthur “TJ” Russo. “This is, perhaps, the largest project the Town of Lincoln will be proposing in the next decade. Resident input from both parents and taxpayers is essential to identifying a proposal that will serve the entire community well.”