Meetings and Materials
Regular School Committee Meetings
The Somerville School Committee holds regular meetings twice monthly. Regular meetings are held on the first and third Monday of each month, unless otherwise posted, beginning at 7 p.m. Meetings are held in the Council Chambers at Somerville City Hall, 93 Highland Ave., 2nd floor. Regular meetings are streamed live on the City’s GovTV station online and on local cable channels 22 & RCN 613/13/ Participants may also join remotely via Zoom for language interpretation or to participate in public comment. For the link, please see the agenda for an upcoming meeting. Agendas are posted no later than 48 business hours prior to a scheduled meeting, at this link.
Subcommittee Meetings
Subcommittees of the Somerville School Committee are where much of the business associated with overseeing the Somerville Public Schools happens. Members of the public are welcome to attend Subcommittee meetings and meetings of the Committee for Long Range Planning. A complete schedule of meetings is available on the Calendar of Events. Minutes of meetings are archived online as they are approved by the School Committee. Current Subcommittees are:
- Education Programs and Instruction: Emily Ackman (Chair), Laura Pitone (Vice Chair), and Ellenor Barish
- Finance and Facilities: Sarah Phillips (Chair), Andre Green (Vice Chair), and Leiran Biton
- Rules Management: Ellenor Barish (Chair), Leiran Biton(Vice Chair), and Laura Pitone
- School Buildings Facilities and Maintenance Committee: Laura Pitone (Chair), TBD (Vice Chair), and Emily Ackman
- Special Policing Subcommittee
- Joint City/SPS Committee on School Facilities
In addition, the Committee for Long Range Planning is a Standing Committee of the Whole. It is chaired by the Chair of the School Committee.
To request meeting materials for regular or subcommittee meetings, please contact Erika Garcia. Agendas, Weekly Calls, and Minutes for Regular and Subcommittee meetings are posted on this page when available.
MEETING AGENDAS
Pursuant to Chapter 20 of the Acts of 2024, meetings of the School Committee will be conducted via hybrid participation. We will post an audio recording, audio-video recording, transcript, or other comprehensive record of these proceedings as soon as possible after the meeting on the City of Somerville website and local cable access government channels.
Click on the meeting date below to access the meeting links and agenda.
- School Committee Call for the Week of December 16, 2024
- Regular School Committee Meeting Agenda for December 16, 2024
To watch the Regular Committee Meeting live from home, please visit the following link: somervillema.gov/GovTVLive
To listen live to the simultaneous interpretation of the Regular School Committee meeting in Spanish, Portuguese, or Haitian Creole, please join this Zoom Webinar and choose your desired language by clicking the interpretation globe on the Zoom: https://k12somerville.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_EB-AFq7pR0SMl0vsJ0WNEg
Meeting ID: 869 0362 0322
Password: SPSSC24
PUBLIC COMMENT
The Somerville School Committee will continue to have Virtual Public Comment during Regular hybrid meetings. Although the mechanics may be different, we will follow policies: File: BEDH PUBLIC COMMENT AT SCHOOL COMMITTEE MEETINGS and File: BEDH-E GUIDELINES FOR PUBLIC COMMENT.
The Zoom link will open to the public at 6:45 p.m. for Monday’s Regular School Committee meeting to allow constituents to sign up for Public Comment. Once in the Zoom, those wanting to sign up for Public Comment will have to enter their name and address in the chat box and hit send. The signup will close once the meeting starts at 7:00 p.m., just as it does at in-person meetings. The Chair will decide the length of time allotted for speaking depending on how many speakers sign up. Speakers are encouraged to submit their written comments to Erika Garcia, egarcia@k12.somerville.ma.us. Please note that you will not be able to “watch” the meeting via zoom, you must use the GovTv link to watch the meeting.
As always, constituents may contact the Somerville School Committee directly.
Click "Calendar" on the top right of this page or visit the following link: https://somervillema.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx to see when School Committee meetings are scheduled.
Meeting Documents
To access all meeting documents for Regular and Subcommittee Meetings, including agendas, please visit the following link: https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1OeGzb5OVgoCxY6u_qO-CS8iWD2lGmMFf.
Recent slide presentations are linked here for your convenience and are also available at the link above. You can also see archived presentations at this link: See archived School Committee Presentations here.
- December 16, 2024- Weather Preparedness Memo, Facility Update, SEPAC Survey Presentation
- December 9, 2024- SEB Intervention Team, MTSS, Strategic Plann Launch/ Implementation
- November 25, 2024- Early Childhood, Early Education Update
- November 4, 2024- CTE Presentation, SCALE Presentation, Quarterly Academic Update
- October 21, 2024- Hispanic Heritage Month Acknowledgment, Facilities Walkthrough Memo,
- October 7, 2024- Assessment/ MCAS Presentation, Equity in Sport, School Safety, Inclusive Lunch Memo,
- September 23, 2024- Enrollment Update, Community Schools/ OST, Management System for Facilities
- September 9, 2024- Strategic Plan
- June 17, 2024- Special Education Department End of Year Update Memo, Memo Update-Partnership to maintain safe/healthy teaching/
learning environments within school buildings/ grounds, Lunch and Recess Memo - June 10, 2024- Early Release Wednesday Update, Out of School Time Update, MLE Department End of Year Update Memo
- May 6, 2024- District SEL Development Plan, SBC Update Memo
- April 29, 2024- SFLC Presentation, SCALE Presentation, SBC-CAG Memo
- April 1, 2024-Healey Families Initiative, Enrollment Update
- March 18, 2024- Kennedy SIP, SHS SIP, AFAS SIP Memo, Brown SIP Memo, NWFC SIP Memo, WHCIS SIP Memo, Healey SIP Memo
- March 4, 2024- Bruins Partnership, ESCS School Improvement Plan, WSNS School Improvement Plan
- February 26, 2024- Capuano School Improvement Plan, Entry Plan Update, SHS Safety Memo, Student Opportunity Act
- February 5, 2024- Brown School Enrollment, BAM & WOW Presentation, K-8 Masterplan
- January 22, 2024- SEU Update, MSBA Update
- January 8, 2024- CTE Presentation, MSBA Update
- December 18, 2023- MSBA Memo Update
- December 4, 2023 - Early Education Department Presentation, SPS Student Health Survey Presentation
- November 20, 2023 - WHCIS PK/K Proximity School Recommendation
- November 6, 2023 - Equity & Excellence Department Presentation, Out of School Time Memo
- October 16, 2023 - Personnel Update Presentation
- October 2, 2023 - WHCIS Transportation Update Memo, Hispanic Heritage Month Presentation, MCAS Results Presentation
- September 18, 2023 - Superintendent Carmona Entry Plan
- September 11, 2023 - Enrollment Update, Summer Debrief
- August 28, 2023 - Community Schools Update
- June 12, 2023 - MLE Dept Memo to School Committee, WHCIS Timeline, Report of the School Buildings Maintenance and Facility Committee
Video Recordings
Visit https://somervillema.legistar.com/Calendar.aspx or Somerville EdTV's YouTube Channel to watch Regular School Committee meeting recordings
To view meetings prior to August 2022, please visit: http://somervillecityma.iqm2.com/Citizens/Default.aspx
MEETING MINUTES
School Committee meetings, with the exception of special meetings for Executive Session, are open to the public. In the event you miss a public meeting, minutes are available to help you keep track of the activities and actions of your elected officials (please see School Committee Minutes links on the menu to the right). Meeting handouts are available by request by contacting the Superintendent’s Office.
School Committee Office Hours
These events are updated during regular business hours. Please email or call your school committee member with any questions about these events, to find out about scheduling changes, and for online meeting links.
Spring 2024 Office Hours
April 4, 2024. Thursday, 5:00-6:00 p.m. Ellenor Barish (Ward 6). Brown School (benches outside).
April 6, 2024. Saturday, 10:30 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Sarah Phillips (Ward 3) and Ward 3 City Councilor Ben Ewen-Campen. Central Library Children's Room.
April 6, 2024. Saturday, 10:00-11:30 a.m. Ellenor Barish (Ward 6). Lexington Park.
April 7, 2024. Sunday, 9:00-10:30 a.m. Andre Green (Ward 4). Winter Hill Brewing.
April 7, 2024. Sunday, 10:00-11:30 a.m. Leiran Biton (Ward 7). Yego Coffee.
April 9, 2024. Tuesday, 8:10-9:10 a.m. Leiran Biton (Ward 7). West Somerville Neighborhood School (front picnic tables).
April 10, 2024. Thursday, 8:10-9:10 p.m. Laura Pitone (Ward 5) and Ellenor Barish (Ward 6). Kennedy School, outside the main entrance.
April 11, 2024. Thursday, 8:10-9:10 p.m. Ilana Krepchin (Ward 2) and Sarah Phillips (Ward 3). Argenziano Outdoor Classroom.
April 13, 2024. Saturday, 10:00-11:30 a.m. Andre Green (Ward 4). TEAMS
April 27, 2024. Saturday, 10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m. Laura Pitone (Ward 5) and Ward 5 City Councilor Naima Sait. Zaruma Coffee, 37 Woodbine Street.
April 27, 2024. Saturday, 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. Emily Ackman (Ward 1) and MA State Representative Mike Connolly, East Branch Library ( in Collaboration With ESMS Neighborhood Cleanup)
Fall 2023 Office Hours
December 2, 2023. Saturday, 9:00–10:30 a.m. Laura Pitone (Ward 5), with Ward 5 City Councilor Beatriz Gomez Mouakad, MA State Representative Erika Uyterhoeven, and MA State Senator Patricia Jehlen. Rooted Cafe at Arts at the Armory, 191 Highland Ave.
December 3, 2023. Sunday, 9:00–10:15 a.m. Andre Green (Ward 4). Winter Hill Brewing Company, 328 Broadway.
December 5, 2023. Tuesday, 7:00–8:00 p.m. Andre Green (Ward 4). Microsoft Teams meeting.
December 6, 2023. Wednesday, 8:15–9:15 a.m. Ellenor Barish (Ward 6) and Laura Pitone (Ward 5). Brown School picnic tables or art room, 201 Willow Ave.
December 6, 2023 *times edited as of 12/5. Wednesday, 2:30-3:30 p.m. Sara Dion (Ward 7). North Street Playground, North Street between Powder House Blvd. and Broadway (rain location: Angelina's Pizza, 230 Holland St.).
December 7, 2023. Thursday, 8:00–9:00 a.m. Ilana Krepchin (Ward 2). Bloc Cafe, 11 Bow St. in Union Square.
December 8, 2023. Friday, 8:00–9:00 a.m. Sarah Phillips (Ward 3) and Ward 3 City Councilor Ben Ewen-Campen. Argenziano outdoor classroom, 290 Washington St.
December 12, 2023 *times edited as of 12/5. Tuesday, 5:30-6:30 p.m. Sara Dion (Ward 7). Microsoft Teams meeting.
December 14, 2023 *date changed as of 12/5. Tuesday, 8:00–9:00 a.m. Laura Pitone (Ward 5) and Ellenor Barish (Ward 6). Kennedy School Book Room, 5 Cherry St.
December 13, 2023. Wednesday, 7:30–8:30 p.m. Ellenor Barish (Ward 6). Microsoft Teams meeting.
December 13, 2023. Wednesday, 8:30–9:30 p.m. Sarah Phillips (Ward 3) and Ward 3 City Councilor Ben Ewen-Campen. Microsoft Teams meeting.
December 16, 2023. Saturday, 9:00–10:30 a.m. Emily Ackman (Ward 1) and Ward 1 City Councilor Matt McLaughlin.