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By Joseph A. Curtatone

Taking a closer look at notable city data—and interesting numbers. 

50%: This summer marks the halfway point on construction of the new Somerville High School and the first portion of the new building is on schedule to open at the beginning of the 2020/2021 school year. In 2016, 72% of voters approved a ballot question that allowed the City to fund the construction of a new high school. Somerville High School was made up of a series of additions that had been built from 1852 through 1986, which meant it had not been designed for modern educational needs and presented a variety of challenges around maintenance and heating and cooling. 

3 million pounds: Earlier this week we held a topping off ceremony to celebrate the placement of the final steel beam in the western wing of the new school – a more than 130,000 square foot addition that will house classrooms, labs, and common space. What goes into building a space that big? It took 3 million pounds of steel and 500,000 pounds of rebar to get the building frame up. Over the next few months crews will be finishing the outside of the building and work inside is expected to begin in October.

127,400 hours: The materials needed to complete the high school only tell part of the story. Construction crews have been working diligently to keep the project moving forward and on time. So far workers have put in a total of 127,400 hours on the new Somerville High School. The high school’s home on a hill can sometimes make construction more difficult, but crews have taken on those challenges and are keeping the project on schedule.

377,406 square feet: When finished, the new Somerville High School will be 377,406 square feet and was designed for up to 1,590 students. Around 1,200 students currently attend Somerville High, but in recent years the city’s population has grown. The new building will make sure we meet the needs of current students and have some room to grow.

6 floors: The tallest part of the new high school will be made up of five above-ground floors and one lower level. Because Somerville is a densely populated city, we often need to build up instead of out, but building a taller Somerville high school also solves a logistical problem for students. The old building’s layout was long and low, so a student who had classes at opposite ends of the building would need to hustle to get between them in time. The more vertical design of the new high school will make for shorter trips between classes.

Data-based decision making is at the core of how the City of Somerville develops policy and sets priorities. Every day we check the latest 311 stats, and throughout the week we meet for in-depth review of departmental data and city trends. The Data Download column shares some of the data we’ve been reviewing recently, as well as interesting updates. To see more Somerville Data, visit the online Somerville Data Farm at www.somervillema.gov/datafarm.