We are finishing the most meticulous capital planning process in Lexington’s history, led by our neighbors and friends with every motivation to keep costs down while meeting the Town’s educational needs. There were numerous opportunities for community input. Some 20 concepts were analyzed. Finally, two designs remained: one renovating the high school and building additional space, and another for a new school. The design for the new school was selected and accepted by the MSBA. MSBA allows only one design — the design you, the citizens, will vote on Dec. 8.

The “Bloom” design is the most cost-effective solution found by the School Building Committee, assisted by professional architects and Permanent Building Committee, that meets the town’s educational program. The cost is in line with other recent high schools, after adjusting for inflation and scope. Every alternative for renovating the old school and adding the required space costs more and would take longer.

While forecasting future student populations is an uncertain business, the falling student population in the current housing and the likely increase in student population in new housing was carefully analyzed and considered in the Bloom design. Prudently, in recognition of the inherent uncertainty, Bloom has built-in flexibility to increase by approximately 500 students, if needed.

Some in opposition would like the town to start the process over in the hope that some other design will be significantly less expensive or to “save the fields.” But there is no responsible option to start over. MSBA has never allowed a town to get this far and start over — we would need to get back in line and wait years to get reaccepted. There is no rational option for spending “only a few million dollars” to keep the HS open that long. The only reasonable response to a vote against the current plan is to immediately move to renovate the existing high school, current cost estimate of $311M, without MSBA reimbursement since it does not meet MSBA requirements. Then, to meet the town’s educational program, additional space will be needed which as is already well understood and studied, will in total cost more than Bloom. I note that MSBA has no process for providing assistance for a plan to renovate the old school now, with some future additions to follow — there will be no state support.

Our best path forward is to vote Yes on Dec. 8 and move forward.

Rod Cole (Member of Town Meeting, member of the Capital Expenditures Committee —speaking only for myself) 

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2 Comments

  1. Rod:

    Lexington’s population (12,000 households now) may increase by 48% in the next decade because 5,750 new MBTA units already permitted or allowable in Town can be expected from 1,150 already permitted units in 11 projects, plus 3,000 units from filings that secured an 8-year MBTA zoning freeze (at the same 50 units per acre density as in the 11 permitted projects), plus 1,600 units on 80 acres zoned for MBTA developments by the March 2025 Special Town Meeting, but with stricter height, etc limitations, allowing an average density of 20 units per acre instead of 50.

    LHS has 2,367 students as of October 1, 2025. Add 48% to that, and you get 3,503 possible students in 2035 (unless lower-grade cohorts continue to get smaller).

    Bloom can be physically enlarged by moving the Central Office out of Bloom and by extending a wing of Bloom, to create added capacity for 500 students at 85% utilization, increasing Bloom’s capacity from 2,395 to 2,895 students.

    With enrollments 48% higher than today, or 3,503 students in Bloom expanded, Bloom would operate in 2035 at 121% of its 2,895 (enlarged) design capacity, well above LHS’s current overcrowding: LHS now operates at 97% utilization instead of the desirable 85% for which Bloom is designed.

    As for your comments about the MSBA, the on-campus, box-based solution that the SBC dismissed because of “disruptions during construction” (while the new Hastings was built just 8 feet from active classrooms) would be presented as one single project to the MSBA, making it eligible for funding.

    1. The School Committee did a very thorough job looking at future construction earlier this year. What they found: unsurprisingly, 1-bedroom condos and apartments in Lexington don’t house many children. And more than half of the units planned through 2028 are 1-bedroom apartments and condos.

      Anyone who wants to look at realistic estimates for future enrollments – as opposed to claims with extreme projections for housing that hasn’t been planned, much less built – can read “Adjusting Enrollment Projections Based on Historic Student Density & Known Housing Development, LPS Research, Planning & Data Services | January 2025”
      https://docs.google.com/document/d/1HW5rzzlmkPLNnzrkFgf2WnpuSJ3JVOLe6r2cq2sd53s/edit?tab=t.0

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