School Construction Advisory Group membership for Winter Hill and Brown planning announced

On September 29, 2024, in Latest News, by The Somerville Times

—Photo by Bobbie Toner

Advisory Group meetings and broad public process to launch in October; First meeting is Oct. 8

Mayor Katjana Ballantyne is announcing the members of the Somerville School Construction Advisory Group. Over the course of an in-depth process, members will develop a recommendation to the Mayor on both the location and scope of a renovated or new school to meet the needs of the Winter Hill Community Innovation School and potentially the Benjamin G. Brown School. Advisory Group meetings will be open to the public and will be accompanied by a broader public process designed to gather input from parents, guardians, teachers, and the community at large. Both the Advisory Group and the broader public process will launch in October and is expected to conclude in fall 2025.

Core questions to be reviewed by the Construction Advisory Group include:

If we build a new school rather than renovate the old Winter Hill School, should the school be located at the Winter Hill site at Sycamore Street, or elsewhere?
Will the Brown School be included in a joint school, or, if not, how should we plan for the future of the Brown?
What do these choices mean for the Somerville Public Schools and city as a whole?

Information to be reviewed by the Construction Advisory Group includes:

Information about the culture, demographics, current conditions, enrollment, capacity, programs, space needs, curriculum requirements, and school and building programs at the Winter Hill Community Innovation School, the Brown School, and – as relevant –other district schools
Community input collected via multiple methods by Winter Hill students, the Somerville Public Schools, and the broader community process
Current and potential school travel and transportation information
Overview of Somerville municipal finance, including operating and capital budgets, revenue generation, general fund capital needs, Climate Forward sustainability goals for school buildings, affordability issues, and debt exclusion override mechanics
Other city and school fiscal, infrastructure, and building priorities, including capital investments, logistics, etc.

Members

Members selected to date for the Construction Advisory Group include the following. Remaining positions including for teachers, students, and potentially additional community group representatives, will be shared when filled.

Winter Hill Parent Representatives (selected via open call process)
- Cassie Walston (PTA)
- Matthew Daniels
Brown School Parent Representatives (selected via open call process)
- Ryan Williams (PTA)
- Marta Guerra Pastrian
Somerville Public School District Parent Representatives (selected via open call process)
- Emily Miyares
- Matthew Roberts
City Council Representative (recommended by City Council President)

- Kristen Strezo

School Committee Representative (recommended by School Committee Chair)
- Andre Green
Community Group Representatives (recommended by respective groups)
- Green New Deal for Somerville Schools: Corey Donahue
- Padres Latinos: Paula Magnelli and Gandhy Aldana
Business Community Representative (recommended by Somerville Chamber of Commerce)
- Adam Portnoy
- Jack Connolly (alternate)

Construction Advisory Group Meeting, October 8

The first meeting of the Advisory Group will be in person. All meetings will be open to the public and will include a designated comment period toward the end of the meeting. Future meetings will be either virtual or in person. Meetings will be videotaped by the city’s GovTV team and made available for later viewing. For links and updates, see www.somervillema.gov/WHCIS or somervillema.gov/cag.

Date: Tuesday, October 8 from 6:00 to 8:30 p.m.
Location: Somerville High School, 81 Highland Avenue, Room 205

Background

In April 2023, the City submitted individual applications for major grant support from the state. The requests were to receive funding to renovate or rebuild both the Winter Hill and the Brown schools. In December 2023, the Winter Hill school was accepted into the Eligibility Phase of the Massachusetts School Building Authority’s (MSBA) grant program.

The grant program could potentially provide significant state funding for renovation or construction of a new school. Although the Brown School was not individually accepted into the program, the MSBA expressed willingness to consider a single project that accommodates both the Winter Hill and Brown School populations.

Both the Advisory Group and the broader public process aim to ensure that the full community has an opportunity to weigh in on a decision that impacts current students, future students, and the community at large. Community input will be sought via multilingual outreach and a range of methods and opportunities for input.

The MSBA process involves a timeline set by the state. The Advisory Group and broader public process will fit into this existing MSBA timeline, and will not delay the school building process. The anticipated fall 2025 conclusion of the Advisory Group and public process is based on the current estimate of the MSBA timeline. If the MSBA schedule changes, the Advisory Group process could accelerate or have more time accordingly.

More information

For more information on the Winter Hill Community Innovation School construction project, the MSBA process, and related information, please visit somervillema.gov/WHCIS. Updates related to the work of the Advisory Group and community input opportunities will be shared via city and school channels, and the somervillema.gov/WHCIS web pages. Watch for our new school building project website coming soon. Sign up for the city e-newsletter at somervillema.gov/subscribe.