Lexington has long prided itself on its excellent public schools. That’s why we moved here in 1998, bringing our son from a private school in Cambridge to a public school in Lexington. For many families, the quality of the schools is a major factor in deciding to move here.
However, recently I’ve noticed more and more parents opting to send their kids to private schools. Some say, ‘Don’t worry, we’ve always had a few families who can afford the high property taxes, plus an extra $60K to send their kids to private schools.’ But, did we? Is this really the case?
I decided to look for concrete data. The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) has published detailed data, which I’ve extracted and present here in a plot:
In the late 1990s, only about 7% of Lexington students attended private schools (represented by blue dots), compare to 10% statewide (represented by orange dots). While it’s unfortunate that some families have not found their place in the public schools, I am proud that Lexington has been able to serve such a diverse range of families—across ethnicities, academic needs, and income levels—at a much higher rate than the state average.
Since then, however, the trend has generally declined, with occasional plateaus, while statewide public school attendance has been on the rise. State data shows a 1% drop in public school attendance coinciding with the COVID-19 crisis, followed by a gradual recovery to pre-pandemic levels by last year. However, the data for Lexington show the decline started a year earlier and reached a 2% drop (double the state’s decline), surprisingly remaining unchanged since then. The percent of students in Lexington public schools has stayed constant for the past four years.
It’s difficult to pinpoint a single cause for this decline, but as a parent of LPS students for 26 years, I’ve witnessed several changes:
- Academic rigor has fallen out of the top priorities for school committee
- Quality metrics shifted from local standards to less rigorous national standards
- “Closing the gap” has taken priority over supporting all students at where they are
- Advanced classes are not added in the interest of reducing stress
- Excellence is no longer celebrated—now “exceeding expectations” is even removed from report cards
- Science fairs and clubs have received less support
- Over 10 mathematics-support schools are now open just in Lexington, with many more nearby. Parents who can afford it are compensating for the public schools’ failure to provide appropriate math education.
Each time a family decides to switch to private school, I feel the system has let them down. So, how many families are making this choice? The plot below shows the number of students opting out in favor of private schools:
Since 2008, the number of Lexington students leaving for private schools has increased dramatically, reaching an all-time high. The number has doubled since the late ’90s, peaking at 863 students in the 2023-2024 school year. If Lexington Public Schools continue as they are, this number will only grow. Is this really the solution to reducing overcrowding in public schools?
As a school committee member, I will advocate for an inquiry into family satisfaction and push for greater curriculum transparency.
I will work to create metrics that assess satisfaction with every aspect of the school experience, including academics and curriculum.
I will support excellence in all areas.
My goal is to restore the strengths of Lexington Public Schools and make our public school community appealing to all families. The green curve needs to go down to show that the system is working.