New School Building

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. 

In June 2023, the Winter Hill School on Sycamore Street closed and students relocated to the Edgerly Building on Cross Street. A Construction Advocacy Group (CAG) was then formed to study options and recommend a path forward. In late 2025, the CAG recommended building a new school at 115 Sycamore Street, with capacity for up to 925 students and space for students and staff from both Winter Hill and the Brown School, the district’s oldest school. The feasibility phase continued through Summer 2026 and was submitted to the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) in August 2026, establishing the foundation for the project’s next phase.

Schematic Design began in Fall 2026 and focused solely on the preferred design, developing more detailed architectural plans, layouts, and project elements to reflect the specific school project. Community and family engagement continued throughout the process, with opportunities for feedback shared through City and SPS communications.

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. 

Frequently Asked Questions: SPS Community Schools

Building a larger school means creating a modern learning environment with dedicated, purpose-built spaces that better support specialized programming and meet the needs of more students. 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, and we agree with that recommendation. 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. Our 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.

The new school is being thoughtfully designed around smaller learning communities organized by developmental age groups: PreK–3, Grades 4–6, and Grades 7–8. Research and best practices emphasize the importance of strong school culture, developmentally appropriate learning environments, student supports, and opportunities for meaningful relationships between students, educators, and families. Consistent with these educational models and the district’s Educational Program submission, the new school is being designed around smaller learning communities organized by developmental age groups: PreK–3, Grades 4–6, and Grades 7–8. These clusters will function as distinct student environments with dedicated administrative and support spaces while also benefiting from shared resources, expanded programming opportunities, and the flexibility a modern facility can provide. The goal of this model is to combine the benefits of a smaller-school experience with the academic, programmatic, and operational advantages of a larger school facility.

Absolutely. The City, school district, and project developers are eager to hear feedback from the community through a variety of opportunities, including Community Forums, Design Workshops, tabling at City and SPS events, and more. These are announced via the City website and social media channels. Keep up to date by signing up for the City’s project newsletter!

The Catchment plan will include considerations such as distance, access to specialized programs, family choice, and enrollment trends by grade. It is important to note that not every family selects their neighborhood school as their first choice for various reasons. In fact, approximately 44% of families did not choose their proximity school as their first choice for Kindergarten placement.

Accepting state funding to meet the student population needs of the Brown School means these student seats would need to shift to the new school building. The specifics of how the Brown School community would transition to the new building are dependent on school committee discussions about education programming at the new school and throughout the district.

No, there is no intention to simply absorb the Brown School community into the Winter Hill school. The configuration and programming on the new school building needs to be the subject of extensive School Commitee discussion on how we best meet the needs our students and school community.

Yes, we need to ensure that both buildings can continue to serve our students through the completion of the new school building and beyond.