A founding parent of Alpha School's Boston and Lexington campuses has a warning for the Lexington School Committee: stick strictly to the law when voting on Alpha's application, or risk a costly lawsuit.

The warning, and why it has teeth.

Raghav Gupta wrote in the Lexington Observer that Massachusetts law strictly limits what the committee can consider when reviewing Alpha's application to open at 92 Hayden Ave. He pointed to a cautionary tale close by: Andover paid $2.5 million to settle with Fusion Academy after its own school committee overstepped in a similar approval process. "When school committees stretch that scope, it gets expensive," Gupta wrote. "Just ask Andover."

What the law actually allows committees to consider — and what it doesn't.

Under state law, school committees must approve a private school once satisfied that its instruction "equals in thoroughness and efficiency" the local public schools' instruction, according to state guidance. That's it. The guidance is explicit that approval "is neither an evaluation of program quality nor an endorsement of any particular school" — meaning questions about tuition, teaching philosophy, or whether a school has a playground fall outside what the committee is legally allowed to weigh, according to Gupta.

Boston already went through this exact process.

Gupta pointed to Boston's approval of the same school in June as a working precedent. Boston Public Schools approved Alpha's application after weeks of due diligence, the Boston Globe reported. Alpha charges $55,000-$65,000 a year and relies on AI tutors loaded onto laptops for core academics, and now operates in Boston as part of a planned 28 campuses opening nationwide this fall, including three in Massachusetts, according to the Boston Business Journal.

Where Lexington's own review stands right now.

Alpha representatives presented to Lexington's School Committee on June 16. Superintendent Julie Hackett is now leading a review team, with a recommendation expected a few months after the committee's August meeting — putting the final vote sometime in fall 2026, as previously reported.

At that June presentation, committee members raised real questions: Chair Larry Freeman pressed Alpha on how its AI curriculum handles sensitive historical topics, and member Eileen Jay questioned whether the model actually builds critical thinking. "Mastering something and showing that you can master it is one thing, but in all of those disciplines, including math and science, there's a strong element of critical thinking that needs to be developed," Jay said, according to an earlier Observer report. Gupta agreed those questions are legitimate under the law — his concern is simply making sure the committee's final decision stays within its legal bounds, whatever conclusions those questions lead to.

What Alpha's Lexington program would actually look like.

The school expects to enroll about 20 students in its first Lexington year, with 18 families already placing deposits as of July. Students spend two hours daily on AI-based academics with difficulty automatically adjusted, followed by afternoon workshops. Staff are called "guides" and aren't required to hold teaching certifications.

The cautionary tale driving all of this.

Andover's town and school committee paid Fusion Learning $2.5 million after overreaching in a private school review, with insurance covering legal defense and the settlement itself, according to Andover News.

No comment was available from the Lexington School Committee or Superintendent Hackett in response to Gupta's letter. No date has been announced for the committee's next discussion of Alpha's application.