115 Sycamore Street New School Building

June 2026

The City’s project team has been advancing design for the new building at 115 Sycamore Street. This month they reviewed HVAC and potential building materials options with the School Building Committee. 

In late August, the City’s project team plans to submit to the state the preferred schematic report, which will formally convey a single, preferred option for the building.  

Learn more in the most recent project newsletter.

Previous Updates

May '26 Project Newsletter
April '26 Project Newsletter
March '26 Project Newsletter
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February 2026

The City’s team is advancing the project through the next phase of the MSBA’s process - the feasibility study or preliminary design. During this phase, the project team is working to: 

1. understand and document SPS’s educational requirements for the new building, and;
    
2. prepare an analysis of the City’s preferred site option for the new school building (as well as analyses of other non-preferred options that were considered). 

All community members are invited to come learn more and share their perspective at an upcoming community forum on Tuesday, March 3, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Somerville High School’s Highlander Forum. 

This work has involved close collaboration between the City’s project team and SPS staff/community members: school tours, programming workshops, and a visioning session have all helped increase understanding of the guiding principles and educational priorities that the new building’s design must support.  

An overview of both of these efforts was presented at this month’s School Building Committee meeting. Samples slides from that meeting are below and the full presentation and recording are available here.  

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The feasibility study phase is currently expected to conclude by late summer 2026. 

March 3 Community Forum and Other Opportunities to Weigh in on Design

All community members are invited to come learn more about the project and share their perspective at an upcoming community forum on Tuesday, March 3, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Somerville High School’s Highlander Forum.  

In addition, throughout this spring and beyond City staff and project architects Perkins Eastman will be hosting a range of opportunities for you to weigh in on design. These opportunities will be posted on this page under events (below) and shared broadly through City and SPS channels.

January 2026 

The City’s plans for a new school building are progressing. Here’s what is currently happening:  

Mayor Wilson issues statement on the CAG’s recommendation

In late 2025, the Construction Advisory Group (CAG) issued its recommendations to the Mayor on key questions about the new school building project.  

On January 22, Mayor Wilson issued a statement on the CAG’s recommendation affirming his commitment to “to building our community’s new school, with the largest possible capacity, at 115 Sycamore Street as quickly as possible through a clear, transparent process the public can follow.”  

Read the full CAG recommendation and Mayor’s response:  

• Final CAG Recommendation
• Mayor Wilson Statement on CAG recommendation   

Planning and Preliminary Design Work Ongoing  

The City, project manager PMA, and architect Perkins Eastman are  working to advance the project through the next phase of the MSBA’s process. 

This phase is called the feasibility study. During this phase, the project team works to document SPS’s educational requirements for the new building.  

They will also prepare an analysis of the City’s preferred site option for the new school building. As required by MSBA, they will also prepare analyses of non-preferred site options to submit for MSBA review. This phase is currently expected to conclude by late summer 2026. 

Opportunities to Weigh In on Preliminary Design  

City staff and project architects Perkins Eastman will be hosting a range of opportunities for you to weigh in, starting later this winter and running through the spring. 

These opportunities will be posted on this page under events and share broadly through City and SPS channels. 

School Building Project Events 
 

1. Planning

   Mar ’24 - Oct ’25

   
   Meeting the state’s initial requirements for funding eligibility and forming the project team.

2. Preliminary
   Design

   Nov ’25 - Aug ’26

   
   Documenting educational needs as well as developing early-stage design options and preliminary cost estimates.

3. Schematic
   Design and Funding

   Sept ’26 - Jan ’28

   
   Advancing design, developing the budget, and asking the community to support the project via a Nov ’27 debt exclusion vote.

4. Final
   Design

   Feb ’28 - Dec ’28

   
   Planning for construction by detailing design, soliciting bids, and evaluating contractors.

5. Construction

   Jan ’29 - Dec ’31

   
   Hiring a contractor and getting shovels in the ground to build our new school.

The timeline above represents our best estimate given currently available information and the state's funding process. Timeframes for specific phases are may shift, even as work remains on track for an anticipated completion of construction in late 2031. This timeline will be updated regularly to reflect these shifts.

For a deep-dive on the Massachusetts School Building Authority's school building funding process visit massschoolbuilding.org/building.

Somerville is building a new school at 115 Sycamore Street and working with the Massachusetts School Building Authority get state funding to help cover the cost.  

To maximize opportunities for our students, the City is seeking to build a school with the largest possible capacity the state will support.  

Read Mayor Wilson’s full statement on the project following the CAG’s recommendation.

To get updates about this project directly to your inbox, sign up for our newsletter.

Want to take a deep dive into the work so far? Find key project documents below.  

MSBA Submissions

Preliminary Design Program Feasibility Study (Submitted 4/7/2026)

Please note: the Preliminary Design Program Feasibility Study is a very large file and has been broken into   easy-to-download parts below. 

• Part 1
• Part 2
• Part 3
• Part 4
• Part 5
• Part 6
• Part 7
• Part 8
• Part 9

Other items: 

• Environmental Site Assessment Phase 1 (115 Sycamore St.)
• Educational Profile Questionnaire (EPQ)
• Initial Compliance Certification

Visioning Sessions

• New School Building Visioning Session Agenda - 1/20/2026
• New School Building Visioning Report - 2/15/2026

School Building Committee (SBC)

• School Building Committee Meeting Materials

Construction Advisory Group (CAG)

• Somerville School Construction Advisory Group (CAG) Final Recommendation
• CAG Meeting Materials
• Community Engagement - New PK-8 Survey Results Analysis and Focus Group Summaries

MSBA Invitation and Enrollment

• MSBA Invitation to Feasibility Study 12-13-24
• MSBA Enrollment Letter and Certification 11-25-24

• MSBA Invitation to Eligibility Period 12-13-23

  
  
   

Why are we building a new school? 

Both the Winter Hill and the Brown School need replacement or significant renovation to meet the needs of our students. The Winter Hill School building at 115 Sycamore Street, which opened in 1974, has had several issues throughout its history and is currently closed with students attending classes at the Edgerly Education Center. The Brown School building at 201 Willow Avenue is over 100 years old, and we must plan for providing updated, modern learning facilities for our students.  

Where will the school be located? 

The new school will be located at 115 Sycamore Street—the site of the former Winter Hill school building.  

How many students will the new school serve? 

Following an extensive community process -- that involved more than 13 months of public discussion and careful analysis of the results of an in-depth citywide survey of the community that concluded in late 2025 -- the majority of the Construction Advisory Group (CAG) tasked with making a recommendation on school size and location recommended that the City build for the maximum capacity the state would help fund—that maximum capacity is 925 students.  

This number will enable us to the meet the student population needs of the Winter Hill School and Brown School as well as address other districtwide needs.  

Learn more about the CAG process and review meeting materials here.  

The School Committee then reviewed and endorsed the CAG’s recommendation, and the Mayor expressed his support of the CAG and School Committee recommendations upon taking office earlier this year. Work has been proceeding in a manner that reflects this preference, with input and necessary approvals from both the School Building Committee and School Committee.  

The City expects to submit a final preferred option for MSBA approval in late August of 2026.

Why build for 925 students? 

Building a larger school means creating a modern learning environment for more students that includes many dedicated, purpose-built spaces that better support both core academics and specialized programming.

The Construction Advisory Group (CAG) recommended pursuing the largest school size supported by the state because it maximizes opportunities for both the district and the broader community. This approach allows us to expand the range of opportunities available to students through thoughtfully designed learning environments — including age-appropriate experiences across grade levels, dedicated spaces that support diverse learning needs, and areas designed for community use and programming. Project partners at Perkins Eastman and PMA Consultants bring extensive experience delivering similar projects in communities across the state.  

As part of this process, we are learning from successful models elsewhere while thoughtfully tailoring the design to reflect the unique needs, priorities, and character of Somerville and its students. One way the project team is seeking to achieve this is through the creation of three distinct experiences based on students’ ages and developmental needs. These experiences or “clusters” will be independent wings or floors within the school, connected by shared and common spaces such as the cafetorium, health and wellness facilities, and specialist spaces for art, technology, and other disciplines. This approach enables us to retain a smaller-school feel and age-specific spaces for students while retaining the benefits of scale and flexibility a larger building provides the school district.

How will we pay for the new school? 

The City is currently working with the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) to obtain state funding. The MSBA would fund approximately half of the project, and the City would fund the other half. Even with the state funding approximately 40%-50% of the project’s cost through the City will need to increase property taxes to pay for a new school, as it did for Somerville High School. This would require voters to vote to approve a property tax increase called a debt exclusion. We currently anticipate the vote on a debt exclusion would take place in the second half of 2027. 

When is the new school expected to open?  

At this stage, we anticipate construction of a new school building could be completed by late 2031 barring unforeseen circumstances. 

How will the new school affect catchment areas and school assignment? 

Somerville Public Schools will be conducting catchment area and school assignment policy reviews that incorporate plans at this the new school building. The overall goal is to maintain adequate capacity, equitable access, and realistic school options for students and families across Somerville.

More information on the process and information about enrollment-related questions is available from Somerville Public Schools here.  

How will the City work to ensure that students have safe and sustainable ways to get to and from school while supporting walkability? 

The City and School District share a commitment to safe and sustainable routes to school. This includes safe walking and riding routes as well as efficient pickup and dropoff areas.  

We’ve been working citywide to make our streets safer using forward-looking design practices and prioritizing these interventions around all of our schools and along the routes families take to and from them.  

The City and SPS Staff have a Safe Routes to School Task Force that meets regularly to advance work across these areas districtwide. In addition, as SPS conducts its catchment area and school assignment policy reviews, maintaining walkability will be a priority.  

For this new school building, City project staff, along with architects from Perkins Eastman and transportation planning firm VHB, are working along with the City’s Mobility and Engineering Divisions to analyze traffic patterns, identify safe routes to schools for all modes, work with our partners at the MBTA on transit options, and perform a robust analysis of pickup/dropoff for those families who drive.  

This work is being shared regularly with the School Building Committee. Our plans will continue to evolve as the project moves forward. As design advances, there will be additional opportunities for the community to continue to share their perspectives. 

How do I stay informed about progress and opportunities to weigh in on design? 

Throughout the design process, the project team will host opportunities for community members to share priorities for the new school and help inform the design process.

Sign-up for our monthly project newsletter for information about these opportunities and updates on the design process.

News about the project and opportunities to engage will also be shared through City and SPS channels.  

Information for Winter Hill and Brown School Families 

The City is dedicated to maintaining the Brown school building at 201 Willow Ave and the WHCIS at Edgerley Building in good condition so that both buildings continue to provide a welcoming and safe environment for our students, as they do currently, until the new school is ready for students.  

SPS will prioritize Brown and Winter Hill families, for placement in the new school at 115 Sycamore. More information for Brown and Winter Hill School families is available from Somerville Public Schools here.