Lexington’s Town Meeting members kicked off their second session of the year with a retirement. Members gave a standing ovation for Town Manager James Malloy, who announced he’ll be retiring after six years at the end of the fiscal year.
Members affirmatively voted for six articles, including the appropriation of the 2025 Operating Budget (Article 4) and Enterprise Fund budget (Article 5).
Malloy began the Article 2 proceedings — a series of reports from different committees and departments — by presenting the Town budget report. He addressed the cost of bigger upcoming projects, most notably the $10 million design for the new high school and $500,000 to plan and coordinate Lexington’s 250th anniversary celebration. Malloy also announced an estimated ten percent property tax increase as the impact of the high school design on property owners. The soon-to-retire town manager explained that the budget challenges this year were largely due to labor costs and addressing “key Select Board priorities and long term-financial goals.”
Superintendent Julie Hackett fielded about a dozen questions on how Lexington Public Schools will use its estimated $140 million budget to improve literacy, diversity and special education.
On the question of literacy, which has become a focal point since a recent Boston Globe investigation raised questions about reading curriculums used in many public schools, Precinct 7 member Umesh Shelat asked “why not just go back to a previous model if it works better than what is in place now?”
“That is an interesting assessment,” Dr. Hackett responded. “I don’t think going back to what existed would be in anyone’s best interest. We aren’t doing worse than before.”
Dr. Hackett reminded members that while literacy rates may not be where some residents want, 85 percent of LPS students are reading at their grade level, which is almost 10 percent better than state averages.
Precinct 8 member Lauren Black asked Dr. Hackett about the low capacity levels for special education programs and if there is a long term plan to address it in the budget.
“We are at capacity in several programs, and don’t have a way to expand at this moment. As we work toward outplacement, children will be attended to during the interim,” said Dr. Hackett.
There is also a plan to discuss increasing special education capacity with the School Committee, and a report is to come.
Multiple questions were posed regarding the representation of people of color in staff and administration. Dr. Hackett reported that LPS has “a substantially different administration team now,” sitting somewhere around 50 percent white educators and 50 percent educators of color at present.
Towards the end of the evening, a Sustainable Capital Projects request for $65,000 for a new electric charging station outside Town offices was approved. The charging stations will be limited to Town staff during hours of operation but open to the public between those hours.
Lexington resident Cindy Arens approached the microphone to discuss the Town’s 2013 Climate Resolution, asking if “there any further training or directives in order for our staff to be thinking about planning for sustainability?”
After explaining what the Town has done recently to ensure the Climate Resolution, Malloy said he was “not sure what else we could be doing.”
To observe Holi, Town Meeting will not meet on Monday, March 25th and will resume session on Wednesday, March 27th. The proposed article schedule for March 27th includes the Article 2 report of the Community Preservation Committee, Article 10 appropriating the 2025 Community Preservation budget, and if time permits, Articles 18,19, and 23. Article 18 involves rescinding prior borrowing authorizations, Article 19 will appropriate specialized stabilization funds, and Article 23 will appropriate Opioid Settlement funds.
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