Construction Advisory Group Issues Recommendation for New School Building

The Construction Advisory Group (CAG) has delivered its recommendation to Mayor Ballantyne on the City’s plans for a new PK-8 School Building.

This recommendation comes as a result of a more than 13-month-long process during which CAG members reviewed a wide range of data and information provided by the City and Somerville Public Schools (SPS) to inform their deliberation. While developing their recommendation, the CAG also considered the results of an extensive community process through which more than 2,400 community members shared their perspectives via a survey and focus groups. 

On the question of location, the CAG unanimously agrees that the new school be built at 115 Sycamore Street, the site of the former WHCIS school building. 

On the question of school size, nine out of thirteen CAG members recommend a school be built up to the maximum capacity allowed by the Massachusetts School Building Authority, while four members recommended building a smaller school. 

Regarding the future of the Brown School, of the CAG’s thirteen members:

• Seven remit the decision about the closure of the Brown to the School Committee
• Three recommend the eventual closure of the Brown school
• Three recommend keeping the Brown school open and not including that capacity in the new school 

The full CAG recommendation includes discussion of the factors that informed these recommendations and additional considerations that the CAG believes would help ensure success of the project. It is available at somervillema.gov/newpkto8. 

“Providing all of our students with the quality school buildings they need to learn and thrive is and must remain a central priority of the City, and I want to thank both the CAG and all community members and educators who participated in the public process for their essential contributions to this effort.” said Mayor Ballantyne. “It’s a significant step forward to be wrapping up this phase of the work, which should help position the Wilson administration to move this project forward for our students, our families, and our community.”
 

What’s Next?

To progress through the MSBA process as quickly as possible, the City will need to present the City’s preferred option as well as non-preferred alternatives (which the MSBA requires) to the MSBA in March. 

The City, the project manager PMA, and architect Perkins Eastman are already working to advance the overall project through the next phase of the MSBA’s process, the feasibility study (a review of educational needs, logistics, early-stage design concepts, and initial costs for the project).

During this phase, the project team will document SPS’s educational requirements for the new building. The team will also prepare an analysis of the City’s preferred site option for the new school building as well as analyses of non-preferred site options for the MSBA’s review. This phase is currently expected to conclude by late summer 2026 at which point the MSBA’s approval will be required to advance to the next phase, which is Schematic Design (where more specific building design details start coming into shape). 

Get Involved in Next Steps in Early 2026:

Along with architect Perkins Eastman, the City is planning a series of opportunities for the community to learn more about ongoing preliminary design work, ask questions, and provide design feedback.

These events are expected to take place in early 2026. As plans are finalized, details and invitations will be shared through City and SPS channels.

More information on the process is available at somervillema.gov/newpkto8.

Persons with disabilities who need auxiliary aids and services for effective communication (i.e., CART, ASL), written materials in alternative formats, or reasonable modifications in policies and procedures in order to access the programs, activities, and meetings of the City of Somerville should please contact Adrienne Pomeroy in advance at 617-625-6600 x 2059 or apomeroy@somervillema.gov.