Somerville’s next school building project will address the needs of the Winter Hill Community Innovation School and potentially the Brown School. Partnering with the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) offers the City and school district the potential to receive state funding to offset a significant portion (approximately 50%) of the cost of the project.
Upcoming Events
All meetings will be open to the public and will include a designated comment period toward the end of the meeting.
- The Construction Advisory Group will meet the 2nd Monday of every month. The next meeting of the Construction Advisory Group will be September 8 from 6 – 8:30 p.m. To view meeting details, click here.
- The School Building Committee meets roughly monthly. The next meeting of the SBC will take place virtually on Monday, September 29 from 4:30-6 p.m. A link will be posted as soon as available. To view the event listing, click here. To join the call via Zoom, click here.
You can find instructions on listening to language interpretation of the meeting here. New to attending Zoom webinars? You can find instructions for participating here.
Key Dates
- Community engagement (survey and focus groups) – Late summer/fall 2025
- Funding the project (debt exclusion ballot question) – Expected November 2027
- Completion of construction – Anticipated late 2031
Read more
In 2023, the City requested approval to apply for funding for two school renovation or rebuilding projects: the Winter Hill Community Innovation School and the Benjamin Brown School.
The MSBA gave us three answers:
- Winter Hill application was approved to advance: The City was invited by the MSBA to proceed with applying for funding for one project: to renovate or rebuild the Winter Hill Community Innovation School, which was unexpectedly closed in June 2023.
- Brown School application was declined: The MSBA declined to allow us to apply for a project to renovate or rebuild the Brown School.
- But, MSBA offered Somerville the option to combine schools: However, the MSBA gave Somerville the option to build one school that could serve the needs of the two schools: both the Winter Hill School and the Brown School.
Due to the high projected costs of major school building projects, the City relies on funding and support from outside sources, primarily the MSBA, to fund these projects. The MSBA provides a portion of eligible funds, and the City is responsible for funding the remainder of the project. To receive funding from the MSBA, the City must follow a series of required steps outlined on this page.
We’ve worked with the MSBA before most recently to build the new Somerville High School. To find details about our previous project, Somerville High School, please visit www.shsproject.org.
Want to learn how the MSBA works? Visit our FAQs page or read this explanation about the process.
Latest News
August ‘25 Update
As school returns for the new year, work to move the City’s new school building project forward continues.
See below for details.
Status Overview:
- Community Engagement to help inform the Construction Advisory Group’s recommendation is underway.
- Meanwhile work to hire a designer for the project is progressing as the City plans to review short-listed candidates with MSBA in September.
More on the CAG and Community Engagement
The construction advisory group is preparing to deliver its recommendation to the Mayor on whether the new school building should incorporate the needs of both the WHCIS and Brown School or just the WHCIS. They are also recommending whether the new school should be located at the WHCIS’s previous 115 Sycamore Street site or on a portion of Trum Field.
To help inform their recommendation, the CAG hopes you’ll take a brief survey to share your perspective.
Take the 10-minute survey to share your perspective and keep an eye out for potential focus group opportunities later this fall.
Get more information on the CAG’s work including meeting recording and presentations.
More on the Designer Selection Process
Since hiring PMA Consultants as the Owner’s Project Manager (OPM) in May. The City and project team from PMA has been working under the oversight of the School Building Committee is to hire a design/architecture firm for the project.
The City issued a Request for Services (RFS) in June and received six submissions ahead of the August, 13 deadline.
As a next step, the City will review shortlisted firms with the MSBA at September Design Selection Panel Meetings (DSP). Current meeting dates are included below:
Meeting #1: September 9, 2025, 8:30 am till 11pm*
- Review Designer Submissions
- DSP Ranks Firms First to Last
- Shortlist ~3 Highest Ranked Firms
Meeting #2: Tentatively Scheduled for September 25, 2025, 8:30 am till 11pm*
- Interview Shortlisted Candidates
- DSP Ranks Firms First to Last
Once the selection is complete, the City and PMA will negotiate a Contract with the Top-Ranked Firm.
What’s Next?
Hiring a Designer: The City and PMA will work to select a design/architecture firm to advance the project.
Survey & Focus Groups: Watch for a survey and focus groups coming late summer and early fall to seek your input on the new school project. We’ll keep you posted.
School Construction Advisory Group (CAG): Residents, parents, and community members on the CAG are developing a recommendation for the Mayor on the scope and location of the project. This recommendation will be delivered in November of this year. You can attend CAG meetings and reach out to members to share your input.