Name: Matthew Cohen
Address: 29 Tower Road
Precinct: 2
e-mail address: cohen4lexington [at] gmail.comweiss.betsey [at] gmail.com (
)phone number: 781-640-8362
Community Activities:
- Town Meeting – 2019 to present
- Town Democratic Committee – 2019 to present
- Lexington Little League – Board Member – 2019-2024
- Founder and Co-President, Together We Rise – 2020-2024
- Executive Board Member, Temple Emunah – 2020-2023
- Co-Chair, Social Action Committee, Temple Emunah – 2021-2023
- Chair, Racial Justice Action Committee, Temple Emunah – 2020-2021
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?
Yes, I believe that while this is an imperfect proposal, it is the best solution we have available. The School Building Committee worked hard with stakeholders to examine multiple options. This proposal will create a new school that will meet our current and future needs. Given the difficulty in finding space to build, this proposal was the most logical of the possible options. While there will certainly be disruptions caused by the Bloom plan, the plan to deal with them makes sense. This plan also will not disadvantage current students who will not benefit from the new school building. I share concerns regarding the cost and the impact it will have on the affordability of the town, however, other plans are also expensive. Renovating the existing school building is not guaranteed to actually save much money, and will not create the best possible environment for student learning. The existing buildings at LHS are at the end of their lifespans, so adding to them would not be a good path forward. This plan offers students a bright future, both in the short and long terms. We must put the educational needs of students first, and this plan does exactly that. I want Lexington to stay in the forefront of providing excellent education for all our students.
