The Stigmatines is a Catholic order, and the Espousal Center is the headquarters for the United States. Now it’s starting to look like they’ll need even more land just to make things work at this site. The current High School was built in 1969 and, according to the recent accreditation report, it is not ADA compliant, the science and technical facilities are inadequate, and internet connectivity is unreliable. The obscure Catholic order of Stigmatines is in a fight with Waltham City Hall over plans to take the religious group’s property by eminent domain for a new public high school. The city of Waltham wants to use the property to build a new high school. The students of Waltham deserve to get the best high school we can offer and they will. Waltham needs a new high school, and, having researched every viable parcel within the City, our educational leaders have recommended the Stigmatine property on Lexington Street as the ideal site for this multi-million dollar transformative project. On June 25, 2018, the Waltham City Council approved the acquisition of the Stigmatine property located at 554 Lexington Street for the purpose of building the new Waltham High School.

The Waltham city council voted to take the property belonging to The Espousal Center of the Stigmatine Father's. Through tremendous hard work by all involved, Waltham High School earned accreditation this year, but the accreditation is based on plans to have a new High School by 2020. The Stigmatines own 46 acres located at 554 Lexington Street. The decision to acquire the Stigmatines came after lengthy discussion of multiple potential sites by the Waltham School Building Committee, city officials, and the community. The people of Waltham deserve to get an honest process as we pursue that aim and they are not. WALTHAM -- The Stigmatine Fathers and Brothers say they intend to challenge the City of Waltham, which plans to take their property by eminent domain for use as the site of the city's new high school.