Supporters

As an LHS Student I cannot support this enough.



— Asa Aarons-Mele

Could you learn in an environment where "kids literally can’t breathe,” "you have to stand in a line for potentially several minutes in between classes, not moving at all," and the cafeteria is too crowded to eat lunch? I ask every adult in Lexington to spend a day at LHS and then say "We don't need a new high school!" Our amazing town needs a new high school!




— Morra Aarons-Mele

I endorse the Yes for Lex campaign! We need that new high school.

— Michael Allen

We need a great high school for our great town.



— Scott Allen

I am in support of a new construction plan for the LHS and disappointed that the vote isn’t happening until Dec 2025.



— Judy Atanasov

The children of today will face and be called upon to solve many complicated problems that will affect us as we age as well as them. We need to do everything we can to educate them well for their sake as well as ours.



— Peter Bleiberg

Lexington has a history of providing an excellent education in the public schools. Now it is time to pay it forward to continue this culture of excellence to prepare our children and grandchildren for the world awaiting them.


— Sallye Bleiberg

As a parent of a first-grader and sixth-grader in Lexington, I’m deeply invested in the future of our schools and community. Voting yes for the new high school is not only an investment in my sons' educational experience but also a commitment to generations of students to come. Our children deserve a learning environment that meets today’s needs and can grow with tomorrow’s demands—spaces that encourage collaboration, provide access to modern technology, and support academic and personal development. I believe this new high school will empower Lexington’s educators to continue inspiring excellence, and I’m excited to support a brighter, better future for all of our students.



— Beth J. Bristol

50+ years. Anything changed? Not the high school. Let’s build a brand new energy efficient Net zero, low maintenance high school. It’s time!

 

— Todd O. Burger

We need a high school adequate to the size of our student population and capable of supporting our educational program. Dozens of your neighbors have worked countless hours to assure that our proposed building meets these requirements and conforms to the State's requirements while holding costs as low as possible while meeting these goals. Lexington may be a modest sized town, but we have one of the largest student populations for a single facility in Massachusetts. Our students have been disadvantaged to long in an overcrowded, substandard facility that has endured long past its time. Lexington justly takes pride in its public education; the time has come to insure that future Lexingtonians can feel a similar pride. — Scott Burson

I believe it is extremely important to progress as rapidly as possible to funding of the Lexington High School REBUILDING project. The current structure is in disarray and places the safety and health of students and staff in jeopardy. Furthermore, in its current condition, the High School environment is unfit for learning and teaching. A plan to renovate the school would NOT address the needs of the school district and is counter-intuitive considering the similar high cost of such a project, only delaying the much-needed rebuilding project to a later time. For those concerned about added costs to their taxes, they should consider the benefits they will reap with increase in their property's value once the High School is rebuilt.



— Erica Cristina Sa de Camargo Faye

As a graduate of Lexington High School, I know how important the facilities are to helping reach our educational goals. The current High School is lacking in it's ability to provide a robust education to all of our students. We should support a plan that will remedy this in the shortest amount of time.



— Sarah Carter

Our residents deserve a high school facility that matches the quality of our teaching and curriculum!



— Katie Gayman

Our students and teachers deserve a quality building to allow them to focus on learning free of distractions and outdated equipment. To maintain Lexington’s standards and reputation this can not be done in the current environment nor from a generation spending their entire high school experience in a construction zone. We need to build quickly and in a separate footprint from our current space. Denying the debt exclusion will lose state funds and only end up costing more in the long run. — Craig Gibson

Our high school is falling apart. We desperately need to replace it. Investing in education is the most important action we can take to support Lexington's future. Thanks to hard work by officials and citizens, we have $100M in use-it-or-lose it funding to support construction. Cost is understandably a major concern. I trust town government to make good choices there, with citizen input. — Walter Gillett

The new high school is a necessity. It's expensive because we've waited so long, during a time when prices have been rising, to begin work, but the work MUST be done. Our sons went through the Lexington system, one of them during a previous stop-gap renovation that affected his time there but was quickly obsolete. That's what happens when you postpone, delay, or reject the present opportunity to benefit from the MSBA's approval. I understand that the taxes to follow may be a hardship for many, and sympathize. But for myself, I don't believe the responsibility of parenthood ends when our own children graduate. We have a responsibility to the children of the future as well. What better investment in the well-being of our young people and in the future of our country could there be? — Rita Goldberg

build it now! — Catherine Izard

We've long needed a new high school. It will cost a lot, but failure to build will cost more in property values and in our children's education.



— Jay Kaufman

I fully support the build out of a new high school across the existing athletic grounds while the existing high school remains operational during construction.

— Frank Klemovitch

I have one child at LHS now and another who will be there soon. The current facilities are already inadequate due to overcrowding, lack of HVAC, insufficient storage, and poor hygiene accommodations. These issues directly affect students’ comfort, health, and learning environment. Phasing the project would likely mean years of disruptive, piecemeal construction that fails to resolve the existing issues comprehensively and leaves students, teachers, and families in a state of uncertainty. — Sascha Lamstein

I’m happy to step-up for our students and town. Michael Martignetti — Michael Martignetti

LHS is overdue for a new building. Our town is proud of the educational system and support that helps us build an informed and inclusive community. A new school building is a good investment recognizing our past resilience and ensuring a positive future. Building a new HS now will set the stage to continue to attract excellent educators and education-minded community members. The costs will never be less expensive and cobbling a solution will have negative impacts. The children will benefit in measurable and immeasurable ways. My children are proud LHS graduates and I fully support this project.



— Kim McCormick

As a mom to a current 7th grader and someone that truly loves this community, I want to figure out how to move this topic from discussion to action. Our kids deserve a new school and they deserve it as quickly as we can all collectively make it happen. You have my full support on passage of a debt exclusion!


— Macy Howarth McGaw

My son (Aidan McPhee LHS 2023) was struck in the knee by a discus while running at track practice due to a poorly designed throwing area. If it had struck him in the head it would have been life threatening. Now is the time to properly and safely design a new school and athletic facilities. I have 4 more kids coming through the system and hope you do the right thing.

— James McPhee

I strongly support building a new Lexington High School: our current school, which originally opened its doors in 1953, wasn’t designed for today’s educational needs or the standards we have today for safety, public health, inclusivity, and access to technology. A new, modern facility will support diverse learning styles, foster a sense of security, and provide spaces that encourage all our students to believe in their potential to make a difference in the world. The solutions proposed are cost-competitive and thoughtfully designed to meet the evolving needs of both students and the broader community. The costs of doing nothing are also far from zero: as the info prepared by the SBC illustrates, maintenance expenses are only increasing, and “doing nothing” isn’t free—it brings very large costs that will continue to rise. For these reasons, I am in full support of the proposal for a new Lexington High School.



— Elizabeth Mettetal

We currently have two children at the high school and neither will benefit from a new school. However, their experience with the current building clearly supports the construction of a new facility that matches the quality of the education provided by our teachers and administrators. We recognize the cost of the new school is significant. However, the cost of delaying the project or abandoning it will be much higher, both in terms of the budget for future construction and in terms of the value of living in Lexington and the quality of the education that our children can receive. It should be an embarrassment to our community that our children are attending a school with buckets in classrooms to capture rain as it leaks through the roof, a school where the mods are the best classrooms because the rest of the school is in decay, a school where many students eat lunch in the halls because there is no room in the cafeterias, and a school that is completely unsafe from outside intruders. Enough with the delays. Now is the time to move forward. — Mathew Millett

I chose to live in Lexington for the quality of the schools. My two children have enjoyed their school time here. Let the next generation enjoy the same level of quality teaching and environment.



— Christelle Huguet Perros

Lexington has one of the best public education systems in the country, let’s proudly give it the High School it deserves.



— Manos Perros

There comes a time when old buildings in town aren't just uncomfortable and unsightly - and, let's face it, embarrassing compared with other local high schools - they become expensive and unsafe. I'm thinking of all the HVAC upgrades required to improve safety during the pandemic, or to cool buildings in increasingly hot shoulder seasons. Newer buildings, like Hastings, were designed in environmentally friendly ways (geothermal wells and solar panels) that aim to ultimately save money on building operations. Honestly, I haven't followed up to see if this is true, but it's been the intention. The new Hastings was also designed with student safety in mind. The high school, with it's ridiculous open campus (whoever thought multiple buildings was practical in New England? Just think of all the time and expense required to keep walkways clear) has been left with no other option than to lock random doors, which makes life more difficult for students trying to navigate already congested thoroughfares. There are ways to design buildings to enhance student safety. I have plenty of anecdotes about ways the high school has fallen short in my expectations, from my oldest child (class of 2021) having to eat every lunch sitting in the hallway on the floor due to crowding, to all of my kids having to carry all of their belongings around all day due to limited locker space - often wearing less outerwear than the weather suggests or, in some cases, having jackets stolen when they've been left out during a PE class. My youngest child will be the class of 2032, and I'm not sure if the school will be finished by then, but it's beyond time that the high school not only meets the basic needs of its students but also complies with cost saving, environmentally friendly efficiencies. Waiting, or dragging the process out longer, will obviously cost the town more in the long run. — Robyn Piasecki

It is important for all Lexington residents to have a high school that is in keeping with the reputation for excellence in education of which we are proud (and that home values reflect regardless of whether you have children or not). Without a new or vastly renovated high school that offers modern facilities for modern learning, Lexington will fall behind. The current building is decades past capacity and relevance. Also we must not forget that the mandatory improvements that will be legally required over the same time period will likely amount to $300m which must be spent no matter. The new build/renovation will also have 25% matching from the state.





— Teresa Santos

A renovation of the LHS is long overdue. This is a top institution with a physical structure that needs immediate attention. No further delays, please!

— Arlyn S Silva

The value of real estate in Lexington is closely linked to the reputation and performance of the schools. Invest in Lexington, even if you do not have school-age children.



— Francisco Silva-Tulla

I am all for a completely new LHS. Our students deserve a building and campus that is large enough, so they don't have to eat on the floor and provides an environment that fosters learning and growth. A place that is safe and comfortable were they do not need to worry about anything other than gettting their high school education. — Erik Snell

As a community, we must decide: invest in a new high school that will serve our students for generations or spend a similar amount renovating outdated, overcrowded buildings that pose security risks due to their open design. Built 75 years ago, the current school is deteriorating and beyond capacity. Doing nothing isn’t an option. Retirees and others, who may not have children in school, still benefit from living in a dynamic, desirable community, with robust home valuations. While the increase in property taxes may be a hardship, programs exist to help low-income households reduce or defer taxes. Excellent schools serve as a magnet, attracting home buyers and contributing to a vibrant town. This project is not just a school building—it’s a smart investment in a strong and thriving Lexington. — Eran Strod

I have recently toured the new Waltham high school as well as LHS. The difference is stark. LHS is like my high school (class of '91 at Lincoln-Sudbury, that building was replaced in the early 2000's). Crowded. Small. Loud. Challenging to navigate, taking away learning time. Built for 20th century education. I had been in favor of renovation, but the tours made it clear that it's not practicable to renovate LHS to add space AND upgrade the systems AND make it safe. And listening to the steps that would be involved in renovating makes it abundantly clear that we need a new building.



— Nicola Sykes

The current school is practically uninhabitable, dangerously run-down, and a disaster of a campus layout. Tear it down and build something new to current standards so our students can get the education we moved to Lexington to give them!



— Claire Feingold Thoryn

As a property owner, tax payer but a green card holder that isn’t allowed to vote, I hope you will get as many votes as possible to be able to make these necessary changes! I support you to vote YES for Lexington!! Go Taylor and your team!!!

— Helena Wennbo

This new school needs to be built. — Sheila Wilson

LHS is currently in shambles, with inadequate space, poor air quality, faulty heating and cooling systems, crumbling infrastructure, and nonexistent safety measures to protect our students. These issues cannot be fixed through simple renovations or by merely adding more space. Lexington deserves a high school that students and our community can be proud of.



— Catherine Telliez Yan

This is way overdue and its a disservice to our children if we dont pass this ASAP! Lexingtonians need to put their personal interests aside and unite on this very basic right for our kids.



— Natasha Zeb