Public commenter faults facility meeting timing and accessibility after SFLA presentation; board hears building & grounds update

A resident told the Lexington City Schools Board of Education she was concerned that a recent building and grounds committee meeting, at which SFLA presented ideas about school facilities, was scheduled at a country club with limited notice, poor timing for working parents and without clear disclosure of who paid for the meeting.

Jennifer Leahy, who gave public comment and identified her address in the meeting record, said she learned about the committee meeting the night before and was only able to attend because she got off work early. “Was it paid for by my tax dollars or was it paid for by the people that were presenting? Because it was held at the country club, there was this fancy cheese spread. And if that was paid by my tax dollars, I have a problem with it,” Leahy said. She also said the meeting was scheduled at 4 p.m., a time she said many parents who work out of town could not attend.

Leahy said the district is approximately 36% Latino but that at the meeting “there was only one Latina at the meeting and she was an employee.” In public remarks she described Lexington Senior High School as “over capacity, has asbestos and ADA,” and urged demolition and rebuilding for the high school. Leahy also raised concerns about school safety and visitor screening, saying she encountered inconsistent badge and metal‑detector procedures when visiting district schools: at Charles England she received a badge after the entry button system did not respond; at Lexington High she said she was not required to go through a metal detector because she is an adult and that a screening machine was broken.

Board member Mr. Oort (building and grounds committee) provided a brief committee report. Oort said the building and grounds committee met on Feb. 18 and that SFLA discussed facility needs and “shared some innovative ideas about designing high performance and sustainable school buildings.” The committee report on the record described the Feb. 18 meeting as relatively brief and included an update intended for community members who had not previously seen the SFLA presentation.

Superintendent Nakia Hardy also referenced ongoing facility conversations and said the district and its building and grounds committee are committed to regular community conversations about facilities needs. The meeting record notes additional community engagement activities and an upcoming family‑oriented event at Lexington Senior High School.

The board did not take formal action on facility design or demolition at this meeting; the building and grounds committee update and public comment were entered into the record for continued discussion.

Context and next steps

- Building and grounds committee met Feb. 18; SFLA provided an update to committee members and community attendees. - Public commenter requested clarity on who funded the committee meeting held at a country club and raised access and representation concerns. - No formal vote or directive regarding school demolition, renovations or procurement from SFLA was recorded at the meeting.