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Lexington High School project: $659.7 million budget, construction to begin this summer; dashboard promised by July 1, 2026
Summary
Kathleen Lennan, chair of the Lexington High School building committee, said the $659.7 million project is in MSBA module six, construction is set to begin in July, and an online project dashboard is expected to go live by July 1, 2026 to give residents visibility into budget and progress.
Kathleen Lennan, chair of the Lexington High School school building committee, told town meeting members the district and the Massachusetts School Building Authority have finalized a project funding agreement and the total project budget is $659.7 million, with the MSBA contributing up to $121.3 million. Lennan said the project is currently in MSBA module six, the detailed‑design phase, and that construction is scheduled to begin in July with a target occupancy in September 2029.
Lennan said the owner's project manager (Doran Whittier), architect (SMMA), and the project team are advancing design, producing construction documents, preparing to procure bids and award a construction contract. She reported the latest cost estimates received in March keep the project within budget and noted that the MSBA, overseen by the state treasurer's office, will continue to monitor spending to ensure eligibility for reimbursement.
To improve public access to financial information, Lennan said the SBC created a finance subcommittee to review MSBA reports, monitor expenditures and contingency use, and communicate financial matters to the public. She also announced development of an LHS project dashboard by the OPM in collaboration with town staff; the dashboard is expected to be live by July 1, 2026 as the construction phase begins.
The presentation reiterated that the SBC and project team will continue monthly reviews of reports, change orders and contingency fees and emphasized the project's multi‑year construction timeline. Residents in the hall and remote viewers pressed staff with follow‑up questions during later agenda items about how invoices and payment details flow through town systems and what will be posted on the dashboard; town staff said budget, expenditures, encumbrances and available balances can be published but cautioned against publishing unredacted invoice details online for privacy and security reasons.
The town's plan, as described by Lennan and project staff, is to publish regularly updated budget‑versus‑spend information and to provide clearer links to underlying reports so residents can track progress as the project moves into construction.
