To the editor:
I’m writing to express my strong support for the override article on the warrant at Town Meeting on Tuesday, April 29 at 7 p.m. at Lynnfield Middle School.
As someone who values the spirit of community, I believe it’s essential that we continue to show up for one another. That shared commitment is what makes Lynnfield such a special place to live.
I also know that showing up isn’t always easy. In this case, “showing up” for this Override means asking more from all of us — financially and personally. For some, this will be a real burden, and we have to acknowledge that and take responsibility for that by examining what we are doing and asking how we can do better. Still, if we want Lynnfield to remain a community that offers strong services, education, and enrichment for people of all ages, we must act.
By voting YES on the override, we preserve:
• at the Lynnfield Library: interlibrary loan, state aid, and access to other libraries — services that will be lost along with significant staff cuts if the override fails.
• in Lynnfield Public Schools: a level-services budget (no new additions), avoiding the confirmed layoffs of teachers and coaches that will happen without Override support.
• at the Lynnfield Senior Center: staff who provide meals, transportation, and community programming — of whom up to 50% may be cut if the override does not pass.
This Override doesn’t fund an extravagant wish list. It still includes painful cuts, especially to personnel. It’s the bare minimum needed to preserve the core services that keep our town functioning and connected.
Personally, I see the impact of these services every day and I imagine many other residents have similar perspectives:
The library supplies many books for my preschool classroom — many acquired specifically through interlibrary loan — that I would literally spend my entire hourly pay on if not for that resource. It recently hosted my students’ first field trip and just as recently supplied my son with a forgotten 7th-grade English book via the Libby app.
• My children attend two of Lynnfield’s schools, consuming academic, athletic, and musical resources the district provides. The teachers there place themselves squarely in my children’s corner. Just in the last few days, that has looked like the VERY FIRST time one of my kids has considered themselves a “good” math student, a proactive email home over a missing charger the day before MCAS, recommendations from two different educators for one of my children to attend a summer program, and personal outreach from an elementary department head to help ME select high-quality curriculum for my own classroom next year.
• And some years back, as one of the founders of the Lynnfield Moms Group, I coordinated “intergenerational visits” with the senior center where we crafted, read, and communed with each other and where this THRIVING, lively community of people (and all of the amazing clubs, trips, meals, and more provided) absolutely blew me away. They taught our kids the value of good conversation with someone outside their demographic group and the simple joy of connecting with others.
Because I rely on and care deeply about these resources, I feel compelled to speak up in support.
That said, I also believe in accountability and in helping forge a better path forward. We need a YES vote on the Override to protect essential services — that is true. But we also need to commit to the residents who are supporting this effort that we understand that reflective action is needed. It is reasonable for us all to ask: what were or are the pitfalls that may have led us here and how can we avoid or lessen their impact in the future? We know costs have been SKYROCKETING, particularly for things like insurance, trash, office supplies, etc. How can we look ahead, what can we do differently, and how can we leverage tools such as better long-term financial planning and new pathways for communication and collaboration as we pursue that path? These are fair questions to ask our School Committee, Superintendent, Finance Committee, Select Board, and Town Administrator. However, I encourage you to do so while also supporting this Override.
SO – I will vote YES at Town Meeting on April 29 to send the override to the ballot, I will vote YES again at the ballot box, AND I will also keep pushing for stronger leadership and proactive collaboration with the community and each other moving forward.
I hope you’ll join me in supporting both the Override and a more thoughtful, sustainable path for our town.
Thank you for your consideration.
Warmly,
Kathryn Price
Lynnfield
