Lexington School Building Committee approves minutes, targets August 18 schematic design vote

LEXINGTON — August 4, 2025 — Lexington School Building Committee reviews revised $659.7 million high school budget ahead of August 18 schematic design vote. Acting Chair Julie Hackett led the Monday session, where the project's OPM reported the total project cost dropped $2.5 million from the Preferred Schematic Report figure of $662 million, while the projected MSBA grant grew from $100 million to approximately $111 million following a Friday call with the agency. Turner Construction presented escalation estimates of 1 percent for 2025, rising to 4 percent annually by 2027, with roughly $150 million in scope to be purchased through early release packages before the guaranteed maximum price is set in May 2027. Member Chuck Favazzo argued for target value design over traditional value engineering, saying the former finds "a more efficient, less costly way of completing the design" without eliminating scope. The committee set an August 11 deadline for members to submit questions on the value engineering list, with a grant-impact column to be added, and confirmed a community forum for August 13 at Cary Memorial Building's Battin Hall.