On 3 November 2025, Special Town Meeting voted to appropriate funds for a new LHS, subject to a town-wide vote on a debt exclusion for this project. On 8 December 2025, Lexington residents voted to approve the debt exclusion, enabling the LHS rebuild to proceed. For questions or comments, don’t hesitate to contact me at PDShapiro (AT) Yahoo (DOT) com.
I advocated for the LHS rebuild and the debt exclusion required to pay for it.
I also advocated for the fastest and least disruptive rebuild option C.5b “Bloom” (new building in sports fields).
At Special Town Meeting in November, 91% of TM members voted for the project and specifically for allowing town residents to have their say in the subsequent debt exclusion vote.
According to unofficial results published in the Lexington Observer, on December 8th, 37% of eligible voters submitted votes on the debt exclusion. Our Precinct 4 had the highest turn-out among the nine precincts (40%). Overall, ~61.7% voted in favor (5283 in favor out of 8560 voters). Precinct 4: ~62.8% (648 in favor out of 1032 voters).
Following is a copy of my Letter to the Editor that appeared in the Lexington Observer on 17 November 2025.
We Need This Project. Let’s Get It Done
On November 3rd, Special Town Meeting voted decisively (91% in favor) to fund construction of a new Lexington High School.
Our new school, as planned in what’s called the Bloom option, will be built on fields next to the current LHS, with move-in date planned for fall 2029, after which the old LHS buildings will be demolished and their footprint re-purposed for replacement fields.
On December 8th Lexington residents will vote on a debt exclusion measure that’s required to pay for this essential project.
Here’s why I’m voting YES…
If we don’t proceed with this project, we’ll face spending $300 million for long-deferred maintenance on existing LHS buildings, basically just to keep the lights on. Even after we invest that huge amount on HVAC, roof, windows, doors, plumbing, electrical, and so on, LHS will still be way too small for its enrollment, with overcrowded classrooms, bottlenecked hallways, an overflowing cafeteria, undersized gym, and other spaces ill-suited for today’s educational needs. And we’d still have the security vulnerabilities of LHS’s open campus.
Some have advocated that we renovate and add to LHS in multiple stages. But after careful consideration that approach was rejected because it would cost more, and take longer, and it would be incredibly disruptive and unsafe for our kids and others on LHS premises during onsite demolitions and construction.
In any case, a phased LHS rebuild is not what’s on the table now. What is on the table now is Bloom, which will give us an entirely new school at lower cost, faster, and with much less disruption.
Bloom’s cost is similar to that of other high school projects in our area when comparisons are normalized for date, size, and scope. A tax impact calculator shows that the tax increase to cover its cost will be minimal at first, rise gradually over 10 years, and at its peak in FY2036 will account for less than 8% of our property taxes.
Doing nothing is not an option. Postponing the project would only increase its cost to Lexington taxpayers. Bloom will provide us with a wonderful new high school that will serve us well for many decades. It will be a tremendous asset for our town and for our kids. It’s the right choice. Let’s get this done by voting YES on Monday December 8th.
To return to HOME PAGE, click HERE.