The School Building Committee has approved a plan, “Bloom” for the new high school and building on the current playing fields in the Center. Do you support this decision? If not, what would you propose as an alternative?

I fully support the plans for the new LHS - both the design and location. Lexington needs to invest in new school buildings for many reasons.

First of all, the current school campus was beginning to be outdated when I was a student there in the 1980’s and was clearly out of place in the chilly New England climate. The whole school has since become woefully inadequate as an educational space given the complexity and challenges of providing a great education for all learners  in the 21st century.

Secondly, as we learned with the crisis that occurred with the Estabrook school building in 2010, reusing outdated and worn out buildings can lead to massive unforeseen consequences. I was the Estabrook PTA president when PCBs were discovered in that 1960’s building and, in that role, I had a front row seat to the decision making around renovation or rebuilding. It was very clear that renovation would have been many times more expensive, disruptive educationally and potentially hazardous than investing in a new building on the playing fields behind the school.

As a Town Meeting Member, it is incumbent upon me to make decisions with all of the facts on hand and with prior town history as a guide. It is time for a brand new LHS building.