Student at Brown School

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

 

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
*Kindergarten numbers include SEI-1 students.
**K Capuano numbers reflect special education students who registered and have not been assigned yet.

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
*Kindergarten numbers include SEI-1 students.