Learn about our Schools!
Learn How to Enroll
If your child is eligible for prekindergarten or kindergarten in fall of 2025, please join an enrollment information session. You will learn more about enrolling your child in one of our schools. Register ahead for the online sessions in order to receive the Zoom link. There will be interpretation at these sessions.
- Prekindergarten virtual Enrollment Information Session on November 13, 9:00–10:00 a.m. via Zoom. Register.
- Prekindergarten and kindergarten in-person Enrollment Information Session on November 13, 5:30–6:30 p.m. at the East Somerville Community School library, 50 Cross Street.
- Kindergarten virtual Enrollment Information Session on November 14, 9:00 - 10:00 a.m. via Zoom. Register.
Tours in PK–8 Schools
Dates and Times
- December 6, 2024, Friday, at 9:00 a.m., 10:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m., and 12:00 p.m.
- January 9, 2025, Thursday, at 9:00 a.m., 10:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m., and 12:00 p.m.
- January 30, 2025, Thursday, at 9:00 a.m., 10:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m., and 12:00 p.m.
- (Snow date: January 31, 2025, Friday at 9:00 a.m., 10:00 a.m., 11:00 a.m., and 12:00 p.m.)
- No appointment necessary.
Tours at Somerville High School
Dates and Times
- February 12. 2025, Wednesday, at 8:15–10:00 a.m.
- February 13, 2025, Thursday, at 8:15–10:00 a.m. and 12:45–2:15 p.m.
- (Snow date only if necessary, Tuesday, February 25)
- No appointment necessary.
Information About Schools
Somerville is a Controlled Choice District, meaning residents can send their children to any of our eight district PK-8 schools. Many families send their children to their neighborhood school, also called a proximity school. Look up you proximity school using your address on the Alphabetical Street Directory. View all school locations on the bottom of the School Overview page. Learn more about how Controlled Choice works.
School List
- Capuano Early Childhood Center. Grades PK–K. Early Childhood Intervention Program (PK–K). 2024–2025 Capuano Slideshow. Contact Principal Felix Caraballo or Liaison Deborah Duarte-Calorio (617-629-5460) with questions.
- Albert F. Argenziano School. Grades PK–8. Contact Principal Glenda Soto or Liaison Telma Leitao (617-863-6352) with questions. Special programs: Sheltered English Immersion and Integrated Program for grades K–4.
- Benjamin G. Brown School. Grades K–5. Contact Principal Christopher Ames or Liaison Marla Aguirre (617-629-5480) with questions. Slideshow.
- East Somerville Community School. Grades PK–8. Contact Principal Berenice Mace-Diaz or Liaisons Marla Aguirre and Gisela Hernandez (617-545-3225) with questions. Special programs: Sonrisa prekindergarten, Unidos Bilingual Program for K–8, Sheltered English Immersion and Integrated Program grades for K–2. Take a virtual slideshow tour about a Day in the Life of a First Grader.
- Arthur D. Healey School. Grades PK–8. Contact Principal Sarah Wahl or Liaisons Heidy Castro and Deborah Duarte-Calorio (617-863-6549) with questions. Special Programs: Sheltered English Immersion and Integrated Program for K–2. Take a virtual slideshow tour about Day in Kindergarten.
- John F. Kennedy School. Grades K–8. Ask a Question: Contact Principal Steve Marshall or Liaison Francesca Nguyen Vo Broekman (781-915-9679) with questions. Special programs: Social Education Enhancement at Kennedy (SEEK), Specialized Kennedy Intensive Program (SKIP). Slideshow in English, Spanish, Portuguese.
- West Somerville Neighborhood School. Grades PK–8. Contact Principal André Pelletier or Liaison Lee-Anne King with questions.
- Winter Hill Community Innovation School. Grades PK–8. Sheltered English Immersion (5-8). Sheltered English Immersion Integrated Program (1-2). Contact Principal Courtney Gosselin or Liaison MaryLou Carey-Sturniolo and Liaison Karla Cabrera (857-286-2430) with questions.
- Somerville High School. Grades 9–12. Take a virtual video tour of the current status of SHS Renovations. Learn about course selection at SHS. Call 617-625-6600 x611013 with questions.
Afterschool at SPS
- Visit the Community Schools webpage to learn about our in-house, tuition-based SPS after school program for students ages 4 and older. Enrollment is administered by the Community Schools Office. The program runs at all PK–8 schools until 5:30 p.m. Spaces are limited.
- We also offer the El Sistema Afterschool Immersive Instrument Program for grades 3–8 at the East Somerville Community School and open to all district students.
How does Controlled Choice work in Somerville?
We ask families of PK–8 students to rank their five top school choices for their student, in decreasing order of preference. Children are assigned a school in order of the following priority preferences. Please note that the priority preference is linked to the first choice school listed only.
- Sibling Preference (to first choice of school): Sibling Preference is the top placement priority for students not needing a special education or SEI program placement. Students with a sibling at the same school are given priority provided that students are registered by the registration deadline.
- Proximity Preference (to first choice of school): Proximity Preference is the second placement priority for students not needing a special education or SEI program placement. After sibling preferences have been assigned for students who register by the registration deadline, students will be placed based on proximity as determined by the SPS Street Directory to their first choice of school, based on seat availability.
- Seat Availability to All: Students who register by the registration deadline, do not require a special education or SEI program placement, and are not assigned to a school based on sibling preference or proximity preference are placed based on their ranked order of school preference if seats are available.
- There is no preference given for kindergarten placement to students based on their SPS prekindergarten placement. In other words, attending a PK–8 school prekindergarten class does not guarantee or prioritize a kindergarten spot at that school for the student.
- Students already enrolled in the Somerville Public Schools who submit a timely school-transfer application will be given priority before other newly enrolled students. The Enrollment Office accepts applications of students who are actually physically residing in the city.
Data for Previous Years
Please do not make school choice decisions based on this data. Instead, please contact the Enrollment Office with any questions about choosing schools.
School Choice Data for School Year 2024-2025
This chart shows the number of families who selected each school as their first choice, during the period 1/4/2024 to 2/24/2024 for the school year 2024-2025.
School | PK | K* |
Argenziano | 38 | 52 |
Brown | n/a | 39 |
Capuano | 47 | 70** |
East | n/a | 18 |
Sonrisa at East | 18 | n/a |
Healey | 10 | 28 |
Kennedy | 48 | 48 |
UNIDOS at East | n/a | 42 |
Winter Hill | 7 | 14 |
West Somerville | 32 | 42 |
School Choice Data for School Year 2023-2024
This chart shows the number of families who selected each school as their first choice for school year 2023 between 1/4/2023 and 2/24/2023.
School | PK | K* |
Argenziano | 40 | 56 |
Brown | n/a | 49 |
Capuano | 46 | 34 |
East | 18 | 13 |
Healey | 14 | 22 |
Kennedy | 44 | 45 |
Sonrisa at Healey | 5 | n/a |
UNIDOS at East | n/a | 45 |
Winter Hill | 20 | 35 |
West Somerville | 28 | 44 |