The City of Somerville is developing plans to build a new school building on the site of the former Winter Hill Community Innovation School at 115 Sycamore Street. This new facility will be a state-of-the-art educational center and a community gathering place to benefit students and their families for generations to come.
This spring, Superintendent Carmona and the school district will work closely with project managers, city planners, and the Mayor's office to complete the feasibility study, which includes two key documents - the Preliminary Design Program and the Preferred Schematic Report. In each instance, the School Committee will review and vote to approve these documents for submission to the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA), the project's funding partner.
The City website includes a complete overview of the project, plus important documents and upcoming dates. The site is updated regularly as a vital resource for those following the New School Building Project. Residents can also sign up to receive a monthly project newsletter from the City.
HOW WE GOT HERE
In June 2023, the Winter Hill School on Sycamore Street was closed and the school was relocated to the Edgerly Building on Cross Street. In March of 2024, the City launched an initiative to build a new school to replace the aging Winter Hill. A Construction Advocacy Group (CAG) was appointed by the Mayor's office to recommend a viable course forward, and late in 2025 the group issued its report. They concluded that the best course of action would be to build a new school on the site of the original Winter Hill building, at the largest possible capacity of more than 900 students. The scope of the project would therefore include relocating students and staff from the Brown School, the oldest school in the district, to the new facility at 115 Sycamore. The new school would open in Fall 2032. Review meetings and documents from the CAG process at the City's website.
WHAT'S NEXT
Work on the feasibility study will continue throughout Summer 2026 for a late August submission to MSBA. This fall, work begins on the Schematic Design, as the look and layout of a new school begins to take shape. During the entire process, project managers urge the community to participate in public forums and discussions to offer constructive feedback on the development. Additionally, the school district will identify opportunities to engage Winter Hill and Brown families directly, and those will be shared through SPS channels as well as directly through school communications. Upcoming community dates can be found at the City's website.
Ultimately, the residents of Somerville will vote at the ballot box to determine if and how the plan moves forward.