Cost & Financial Information

What a difference a year makes! Here’s the school on April 29, 2022… And here it was on April 24th of this year! Click here for this week’s SBC meeting agenda.

ANNUAL TOWN MEETING! Saturday, March 25, 2023 in the Lincoln School. Check-in begins at 8:30am, Meeting begins promptly at 9:30am! Learn more here! Thank you, FoMA and the Project Team! At the Lincoln School ribbon cutting ceremony in October, the Friends of Modern Architecture (FoMA) announced that it was awarding the project team (Architects SMMA […]

(And the School Building Committee meets on Wednesday! Agenda is here.) The Friends of Modern Architecture/Lincoln (FoMA) invites you to a presentation, panel discussion, and reception celebrating the revitalization of Lincoln’s Modern school. Lincoln Modern architects Lawrence B. Anderson and Henry B. Hoover, who designed the original school buildings beginning in the 1940s, saw the […]

The 3rd and 4th grade time capsules from the 1994 -1995 school project are now on display in the Lincoln Public Library! Stop by to see what students were thinking about at the time. Also, remember this photo? When the Auditorium was being renovated, quite a few artifacts were found in those hexagonal “clouds” in […]

Last week, a Tesla battery, which will be tied into the School’s system of solar panels, was installed on the north side of the building. The battery is a Tesla Megapack 2, rated at 500 kVA. The 2-hour 562 kW battery array stores 1124 kWh of electricity, which is produced by the solar panels and […]

Congratulations! At our December SBC meeting, Joel Seeley, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at SMMA Architects, announced that he is retiring at the end of the year. Joel, who has served as our Project Manager, has been such an important part of the Lincoln School project. Through all the ups and downs of […]

The trees are planted and grass is growing! The project punch list is getting smaller, and we can expect to see the photovoltaic panels being installed on the sloped roofs in the next few weeks. Stay tuned – more about the PV system after the December 14th SBC meeting! The November photo gallery is here […]

Monday, November 14th @ 7:00pm: State of the Town, Night 1 (via Zoom): updates from the Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, and Anti-Racism (IDEA) Committee; Lincoln Public Schools; Lincoln-Sudbury High School; Council on Aging & Human Services; Community Center Building Committee. Register at https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcpduiorT0oG9GdnaMY_5AMocyCkOTQG_k5   Tuesday, November 15th @ 7:00pm: State of the Town, Night 2 (via Zoom): updates [...]

The landscaping team is putting the finishing touches on the center field and the grassy areas around the school. In this image you can see new grass along the south end of the building and one of the many newly planted trees. We thank our students and the community for being patient with this part […]

You know that when there is a clock on the wall that final pieces of the project are starting to fall into place! Teachers will be able to move into their classrooms the week of August 22nd, and school starts on September 6th. SAVE THE DATE! THE COMMUNITY IS INVITED TO THE OFFICIAL RIBBON CUTTING […]

Remember how excited we were to see the temporary school being built? We are now just as thrilled to see it being deconstructed! One by one, the modular units are being prepared for transport to their new home at the Nauset Regional High School. It will take a couple of weeks to remove the temporary […]

Although all preK-8 students will be in the renovated school this fall, the School Building Committee anticipates that big work (installation of PV panels and connectivity) and small (punch list items) will continue on the Lincoln School campus for about another year. Here are some major milestones to watch for: Furniture and equipment for grades K – 4 will […]

As Phase 2 of the Lincoln School project takes shape, let’s take a look at some of the new features of the Primary School: Preschool is moving out of the Hartwell building and into the school! For the first time, all of our grades, preK – 8, will be together under one roof. This will […]

A lot of work will be happening on Ballfield Road during school vacation week. Please see Superintendent Becky McFall’s message below. Click here for the slide deck from this week’s meeting. Dear Lincoln Campus Community, This week Consigli Construction began work on the road between the Lincoln School and the K-4 modular building.  The asphalt […]

…To the roughly 275 voters who attended Town Meeting yesterday! It was great to see everyone in the room and to hear the buzz of excitement from people who toured through the building. Many thanks to the students and faculty who shared their enthusiasm and answered questions, to the Girl Scouts for selling treats, and […]

Town Meeting is on Saturday, March 26 at 9:30am in the Auditorium! Middle School Open House 8:00am – 9:00am: Come see the renovated Middle School! (no guided tours, the public can wander through the building and faculty and student docents will be on hand). Town Elections are on Monday, March 28 from 7:30am – 8:00pm […]

In case you haven’t heard…TOWN MEETING IS IN THE AUDITORIUM ON SATURDAY, MARCH 26 (9:30am start)! We are so excited to see everyone in person in the renovated Donaldson Auditorium and Harriet Todd Lecture Hall! We will vote on three school project-related warrant articles this year: Lighting Control System Replacement: The school is equipped with […]

SAVE THE DATE: ANNUAL TOWN MEETING SATURDAY, MARCH 26TH – in the renovated Auditorium!!! As the Lincoln School renovation progresses, the project team is planning for the complicated logistics required to bring it to a close. Four major pieces of the puzzle are: 1) installation of the photovoltaic (PV) system; 2) removal of the temporary […]

In December, Joe Dearden, the Lincoln School’s Network Manager, took some great drone footage of the renovation process. Click the image to check it out! Since then, our construction team has continued to make substantive progress while navigating the challenges of winter weather, supply chain disruptions, and COVID. Check out the latest photos in our […]

The January SBC meeting will be on TUESDAY, January 11th at 7:00pm. Find the agenda and Zoom link here.

One supply chain challenge for the Lincoln School project has been steel delivery. While waiting some extra days for the steel to arrive, our team from Consigli rearranged the construction schedule to ensure that progress continued to be made. The good news is that this past week more steel arrived, including the largest beam in […]

Yesterday (Saturday), the Lincoln School hosted a pediatric COVID vaccination clinic for children ages 5 – 12 in the Dining Commons. Thank you for the hard work of everyone who organized and ran the clinic, and deep gratitude to one very patient rabbit (and her owner!) who helped lift everyone’s spirits! The SBC meets virtually […]

What was once the barest form of a structure is rapidly becoming a solid building! (slide the arrows below to compare the photos) Just a few weeks ago, the Primary School was stripped down to some columns, concrete block walls, and part of a roof. Now there is new steel framing, new windows, a fortified […]

The SBC meets virtually on Wednesday, November 10th @ 7:00pm. Click here for the agenda. Click here to see the slide deck from State of the Town and here to watch the recording of the meeting. (Click the image above to see the new November photo gallery.)

Register for State of the Town Meeting sessions at https://www.lincolntown.org/1299/2021-State-of-The-Town

Thank you to Mathias, Nina, Camille, Lucy, Eliana, Cadence, Montana, and Samantha for sharing their observations about the renovated Middle School! The School Building Committee met last Wednesday. Click here to see the slides from the meeting. Join us at the State of the Town Meeting on Monday, November 1st to get an update on […]

The SBC will meet virtually on Wednesday, October 13th at 7:00pm. Meeting and Zoom details can be found here. Check out the new October photo gallery here. SAVE THE DATES: STATE OF THE TOWN (VIRTUAL) MEETINGS MONDAY, NOVEMBER 1st, 7:00pm – 9:00pm Public health update School building project update! Finance Committee update Community Center discussion […]

…We are reminded that the school project is a complicated renovation. Along the way, lessons have been learned and are being applied to the second phase of construction. Here is one highly visible example: When the Middle School was renovated, the existing exterior walls were preserved in many places. Because we are super-insulating the school, […]

Get ready for photos! On August 12th, SBC members were treated to a tour of the renovated Middle School. Building inspections were completed earlier in the week and faculty will be able to move into their classrooms starting on Monday, August 16th. The map below shows the tour route, and there are photos below that […]

The SBC will meet virtually on Wednesday, August 11th at 7:00pm. Agenda and Zoom information can be found here. The new August photo gallery is here. Why the demolition? The oldest section of the building was demolished to prepare for the construction of the new 3rd grade wing, Learning Commons, and Media Center. The classrooms […]

Construction Site Safety: When you visit the campus, you’ll see that the construction site is shifting. At the moment the entire school and both parking lots are work zones. The access to Codman Pool is via the pathway and bridge behind the Hartwell pods. PLEASE use this path, not the parking lot. ONLY the Hartwell […]

Although about 75% of the school project is renovation work, there are a couple of parts that are all-new construction. One is the new connector between the Auditorium and the Reed Gym (image above). The other will be the construction of the new Learning Commons and central entrance (click here to see a rendering). As […]

For all you fans of the ins and outs of Open Meeting Law, you’ve undoubtedly been riveted by the unfolding drama of whether the Legislature and Governor could get together before the June 15th deadline to enact an extension of the law allowing virtual meetings. They (mostly) have: The State Legislature approved Senate Bill 2475 […]

The School Building Committee will meet virtually on Wednesday, June 16, 2021 at 7:00pm. The agenda can be found here. Click here for the June photo gallery.

Our thanks to everyone who came to Town Meeting! Residents overwhelmingly approved funds for new furniture and technology (FF&E) and the use of Community Preservation Act funds to build the new preK and Lincoln School Commons playgrounds as originally designed. These investments will have a very positive impact on our students and the wider community. […]

Phase 1 of the Lincoln School renovation is getting to the point where we can really envision the results! Below are comparisons that show current construction photos of the Dining Commons, new Reed connector, and the Auditorium versus renderings of the finished products.  The SBC met last Wednesday, click here to see the project update […]

…is now imaginable! We are on schedule to welcome faculty and students to a renovated Middle School in September! Last week’s warmer days meant melted snow and the ability to get the roofing schedule back on track. As with most aspects of the project, the work moves from west to east, starting with Building D, […]

The final layer of the exterior of the building is now being installed on Building D (Dining Commons)! The new brick face layer was chosen to mimic the style of the original building. Significant progress is also being made on the interior finishes. Starting in Building D and continuing through Buildings E, F, G, and […]

The visual image that came out of this past week’s SBC meeting was of waves. Waves of sequential work that are rippling through the school starting in building section D (former Library) and moving west to east through sections E, F, G, and H (Reed Gym). The work is both on the exterior and interior. […]

The thoughtfulness and care of everyone working on the design and construction of the school project. Click here for the presentation from the November 24th SBC meeting. Our faculty and students who are showing their imagination and resilience against the twin backdrops of pandemic and construction project. Note the creative outdoor furniture in the photo […]

With fingers crossed for blue skies and gentle breezes, we are ready for Town Meeting on Saturday! Logistics – see campus map below 8:15 Voter check-in begins   Voters will get a pre-assembled packet with handouts, voting card, paper, and a pencil for writing down questions There will be a first aid station with hand sanitizer, […]

Over the past 18 months, the SBC has gone through several rounds of lengthy and difficult decision-making to cut costs and keep the project on budget. At each step we used our core project values to make tough choices, and through the 90% construction document phase, we were able to make cuts without impinging on those […]

Town Meeting is in 10 days! Do you have questions about the school project vote? Join us at one of the following virtual public forums. Want to ask a question ahead of time? Email us at sbc@lincnet.org June 4th SBC Public Forum, 1:00pm via Zoom Register in advance for this meeting:https://zoom.us/meeting/register/tJMvceCsrz0pGt1A7qYxnlPMcq-lkqRoy-H7 June 8th SBC Public […]

Town Meeting is on Saturday, June 13th at 9:30am in the Hartwell parking lot. Because of COVID-19, this year’s Town Meeting is going to be set up quite a bit differently from usual. For starters, it will be outside! Also, it will be focused entirely on the Town’s budget and other financial warrants, one of […]

Construction Phase Begins! Faculty and staff have been very busy packing up the school! Grades K-4 are getting ready to move into the temporary school and grades 5-8 will move into Smith. On June 8th Brooks will be turned over to Consigli and will officially become a construction site. Between now and then, there is a […]

Almost two years to the day after residents came together to choose option “L3” at the Special Town Meeting, the renovation of the Lincoln School will begin! What can we expect to see? (Click here for a reminder of the overall timeline.) Construction fencing will start to go up around the Brooks end of the […]

Project Progress: Over the past couple of weeks the temporary faculty parking lot has been paved and striped and the construction fencing around the temporary school has been coming down! Packing Up: This week the Lincoln School staff began the process of packing their classrooms and offices for the upcoming move! With the school closure extended […]

Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) Signed! To address the Town’s sustainability goals for municipal buildings, the School Building Committee proposed, and the Town agreed, to design buildings and systems in the buildings that are powered entirely by electricity (Yes – there’s a back-up, gas-powered generator), and to provide enough solar photovoltaic (PV) panels to meet all […]

The SBC will meet this week on Wednesday, April 15, 7:00pm, via Zoom. The meeting will be available live on Comcast channel 8 and Verizon channel 33 and on the web at https://lincolntv.viebit.com/?folder=ALL. On Monday, the agenda will be posted here.

On Wednesday the SBC met via Zoom. The meeting was broadcast live (as usual) on Comcast channel 8 and Verizon channel 33, and the video of the meeting can be seen here: https://lincolntv.viebit.com/?folder=ALL The main purpose of the meeting was to review and approve the guaranteed maximum price (GMP) for the project. There are several […]

SAVE THE DATES: WEDNESDAY, MARCH 18, 7:30PM:  COMMUNITY FORUM, Hartwell Multipurpose Room SATURDAY, MARCH 28, 9:30AM:  SPECIAL TOWN MEETING, Donaldson Auditorium In the wake of the February 12 meeting when the SBC had to cut $3.5M of scope out of the project to keep it on time and on budget, the SBC voted to pursue funding for […]

In the wake of the February 12 meeting when the SBC had to cut $3.5M of scope out of the project to keep it on time and on budget, the SBC met this past Monday morning to discuss options.  At that meeting, the SBC voted to pursue funding for the restoration of key project elements.   This […]

Monday, February 24, 7:30am, Hartwell Multipurpose Room The SBC will be meeting Monday morning from 7:30am – 8:00am in the Hartwell Multipurpose Room. In preparation for upcoming meetings with the Board of Selectmen and the Finance Committee, the SBC will review the $3.5M list of items that had to be cut in order to keep […]

“We choose to go to the Moon! …We choose to go to the Moon in this decade and do the other things, not because they are easy, but because they are hard; because that goal will serve to organize and measure the best of our energies and skills, because that challenge is one that we are […]

SBC Meeting – Wednesday, February 12th, 7:00pm, Hartwell Multipurpose Room Included on the Ageda: Review Status of Trade/Non-Trade Construction Bids Construction Update Owner’s Project Manager Update

SBC Meeting – Wednesday, February 5th, 7:00pm, Hartwell Multipurpose Room Included on the Agenda: Review Status of Trade/Non-Trade Construction Bids Construction Update Owner’s Project Manager Update MEETING DATE CORRECTION: The next SBC meeting will be on February 26th (not the 19th). For a list of upcoming meetings, click here.

…January 29th is a milestone day for the project! It is the day the trade bids will be opened, a key step in finalizing the “guaranteed maximum price” (GMP). Below is an overview of the project schedule. At the February 5th SBC meeting, the project team will seek approval to award some or all of […]

The SBC is back in action this week on Wednesday, January 8th, 7:00pm, Hartwell multipurpose room. Included on the agenda: Construction update Owner’s Project Manager update Solar Working Group update Next meeting will be on Wednesday, February 5th, 7:00pm.

We are pleased to report that we’ve completed value engineering (VE) for the “90% Construction Document” phase. Our school building project remains on time and within budget. The next steps (proceeding through December) include finalizing plans and the 100% Construction Document drawings (Bid Documents) in preparation for soliciting sub-trade bids.   Just as we did at the […]

We are now almost at the end of the 90% Construction Drawings phase. The SBC met on Thursday evening to review interior finishes for the Auditorium and Learning Commons, get a project update, and to review the latest set of cost estimates. Another round of Value Engineering is needed to ensure the project stays on […]

The next SBC meeting is: THURSDAY, November 14th, 7:00pm, Hartwell multipurpose room.

9:00am — Special Town Meeting (times after this are approximate) 9:30 — Welcome 9:35 — School Project Update 9:45 — Setting the Context 10:00 — South Lincoln Zoning Proposals 11:15 — Community Electricity Aggregation 11:30 — Property Tax Study Committee Update 12:15 — Open Forum For more information, visit http://www.lincolntown.org/1115/2019-Special-Town-MeetingState-of-the-To

The 90% Construction Documents (90%CDs) were submitted for a final round of cost estimates on October 15th, and the estimates will be presented to the SBC at its November 14th meeting. This is the last round of estimates before the bid documents are finalized in December. Below is an outline of the project schedule and […]

After a 3-meeting, 7.5-hour Value Engineering (VE) process, the project remains on budget! As anyone who’s done a major renovation knows, a construction project is a nearly continuous stream of choices and decisions. Things begin with big decisions like size, scope, and scale, and end with small ones like: Which knobs to put on the cabinets? […]

Last Wednesday the SBC continued the Value Engineering (VE) process to ensure the project remains on budget. As reported last week, the cost estimates at the end of the 60% Construction Documents phase (60% CD) came in about $2.8M higher than the budget, so the SBC embarked on another round of VE. We’ll be honest, […]

At the end of each phase of the school project, the project team performs a new round of cost estimating. We are now at the end of the 60% Construction Documents phase, and at last Wednesday’s meeting the SBC reviewed the latest estimates. They came in about $2.8M above budget, so the SBC is engaged […]

What a fabulous 4th of July parade! Enjoy some more parade photos below. The SBC will continue to meet over the summer. On the agenda this Wednesday (July 10, 7:00pm, Hartwell multipurpose room): Update on exterior elevations and materials Review mechanical/electrical/plumbing (MEP) systems Review LEED scorecard Project budget update ***Please Note*** The SBC website will be […]

  Next Meeting:  Wednesday, June 19th 7:00pm, Hartwell Multipurpose Room Included on the Agenda… Review Exterior Elevations and Materials Review Construction Logistics Plan Updated Monthly Budget Site Permitting Update

Modulars: Last Wednesday the SBC approved the contract for the modular classrooms that will become the home of our K – 4 students during the 2020/21 and 2021/22 school years.  The bid for the modulars came in within budget, and preparations for installation will begin about July 8th! May 22nd – Updated Designs: The SBC will see […]

After a couple of extra weeks off, the SBC is back to its every other week schedule. Wednesday, May 8th, 7:00pm, Hartwell multipurpose room. On the agenda: Review Construction Documents phase schedule Review updated monthly budget Review construction logistics plan Next meeting is on May 22nd. 

The consensus of three independent cost estimates is that the project continues to be on budget! The Design Development phase is now drawing to a close, and the Construction Documents (CD) phase begins. The next round of cost estimates will been at “60% CD,” which means when the construction documents are 60% complete. Project Schedule […]

As mentioned in prior posts, the Design Development drawings were recently submitted for another round of cost estimation. Those estimates will be reviewed at this week’s SBC meeting. Wednesday, April 10th, 7:00pm, Hartwell multipurpose room Review preliminary construction costs Review updated construction timeline Subcommittee reports Site permitting update

For the first time in…a long time…there was no school project presentation or vote at Town Meeting. However, there were two warrant articles with ties to the project: Property Tax Study Committee: In February, the Selectmen (BOS) appointed the Study Committee, which is charged with examining existing tax abatement/deferral programs, determining unmet needs, investigating other […]

At the February 27th SBC meeting, Jim Hutchinson, Chair of the Finance Committee, provided information about the recently issued bond for the project, and shared analysis of the impact on residential tax bills. On February 15th, the Town’s “AAA Stable” bond rating was reconfirmed by Standard & Poors. This was excellent news for Lincoln, and […]

In December, the Finance Committee used estimated bond rates of 4% and 5% to model the projected tax impact of the project… Last week the town’s finance team got an updated bond rating and was ready to put the initial project bond out to bid, locking in our interest rate. The initial bond is for […]

Interior Design: At the January 23rd SBC meeting, the SBC got a look at design concepts for the the interior of the school.  SMMA talked about choosing interior finishes that 1) create a calmer visual environment; 2) are durable; and 3) stay within our budget. This is made a bit more challenging by the fact that […]

…at Plans for the Interior At this Wednesday’s SBC meeting (January 23rd, 7:00pm, Hartwell multipurpose room), the SBC will spend the bulk of the meeting reviewing updated floor plans, interior design, and interior materials. Cost Check: After the December vote, Consigli came on board as our Construction Manager. Since then, they have been examining the building and […]

Click the image to play the video (and turn on the volume!) And if you weren’t able to make it to Town Meeting on Saturday, and want to watch the presentations or hear the questions, you can watch it here!

Over the past 19 months, the Lincoln School project has been forged by the willingness of residents with a wide range of values, priorities, expertise, opinions, and viewpoints to come together to try to collaboratively solve an incredibly complex problem. The goal of the SBC has been to create a process and a platform for […]

…way back in March of 2017 when we were young, carefree, and just starting this process? Sometimes, unless you are in the Lincoln School every day, it is easy to forget some of the basic reasons we are deciding, THIS SATURDAY, on a school project. In March 2017, Town Meeting voted unanimously to release $750K […]

The Outreach Team wishes everyone a turkey-and-pie-filled, enjoyable few days! We will be on hiatus for just a bit…and then you’ll be hearing from us quite frequently in the final days before the Special Town Meeting which is a week from Saturday! A few links in case you’re trying to avoid doing the dishes: Lincoln […]

~~ TONIGHT! Multi-Board Meeting ~~ 7:00pm – 9:00pm Hartwell Pod B The School Building Committee, Finance Committee, Capital Planning Committee, and Green Energy Committee will present updated information in preparation for December 1st.   The public is welcome and encouraged to come ask questions! FAQ: Are there any ways to mitigate the impact of the […]

What is the funding plan? The Lincoln Finance Committee met on Monday, November 5th and voted unanimously to recommend the following plan for funding the $93.9M Lincoln School project: $4.4M from Stabilization Funds (existing funds) $1.0M from Free Cash (existing funds) $88.5 BOND (new borrowed funds) This is the funding mix the Town will vote […]

Cost FAQs: There are a number of interrelated questions that come up about the cost of the project and how we expect to stay on budget. Some variations include: Why is the budget $93.9M? Why didn’t we choose a budget and then do as much as we could for it? Home renovation projects always cost […]

Now that we are in the home stretch, you will be hearing from the Outreach Team a bit more frequently – we thank you for understanding! State of the Town Update At Saturday’s State of the Town, the SBC gave an update on the Lincoln School project’s progress since June. Here are the highlights (see […]

Cost Estimate Overview On September 26th, the SBC received the draft preliminary cost estimates from two independent estimators: The two total project cost estimates came in at $102M and $109M, well above our target budget of $93.9M. After that meeting, the estimators, our design team, and our Owner’s Project Manager met to reconcile the two […]