November 19, 2017
To the Editor:
As former members of the Lexington School Committee, we have advocated for all children in our public schools. In each decade there are challenges that our town must work through to assure excellent and equitable education.
We have seen a steady rise in the student population over the last 6 years.
The School Committee has studied capacity at every school to determine gaps, and evaluated short-term and long-term construction solutions. They also changed the policy on school assignment, allowing the administration to optimize available seats town-wide. Although some in town believe that money can be saved by increasing class sizes, they are mistaken. This idea has been examined and rejected by school committees for more than a decade because it assigns students to schools based simply on space availability without considering the myriad other factors involved in student assignment. No school committee has been prepared to sacrifice individual students' education to some theoretical vision of maximum efficiency.
Meanwhile, the current School Committee has worked with all relevant committees to monitor conditions at all school facilities and update the school portion of Lexington’s Master Plan.
The projects on the ballot are a result of this planning process, and include a new site for the public preschool “Lexington Children’s Place - LCP” and a new Hastings.
LCP is where our youngest children with special needs have gotten their start at a fair chance for an appropriate education for the last 20 years, despite being moved to multiple facilities. Relocating LCP will free space at Harrington elementary and help alleviate elementary overcrowding.
The new Hastings will also alleviate system-wide overcrowding.
We endorse all three questions, as the schools rely on the Fire Department for public safety.
We urge you to vote Yes! on all three questions Monday, December 4.
Bonnie Brodner, Trodden Path
Scott Burson, Cary Avenue
Helen Cohen, Patterson Road
Rod Cole, School Street
Margaret Coppe, Barrymeade Drive
Judy Crocker, Currier Court
Tom Griffiths, Massachusetts Avenue
Bill Hurley, Young Street
Florence Koplow, Brent Road
Judy Leader, Fairfield Drive
Barrie Peltz, Jackson Court
Mary Ann Stewart, Rawson [Avenue]