Executive Summary
At the October 19, 2026 meeting of the Somerville School Committee, officials addressed the emergency response and building remediation following a significant roof leak and flood at West Somerville Neighborhood School, which temporarily relocated students to the Tufts Administration Building. Director of Infrastructure Richard Raish and Superintendent Rubén Carmona detailed the construction status, dry-out efforts, and plans for twice-weekly community communications ahead of an expected full reoccupancy in mid-November. The committee also recognized fifth-grade student author Zuri Sadeh Manikarnika Sri Raman, heard district presentations on Out-of-School Time programming and the Equity and Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) framework, approved Section C of the district policy manual with the exception of Policy CBC, and approved a union side letter establishing a half-day makeup schedule for educators displaced by the flood.
Call to Order and Attendance
- The hybrid meeting was called to order at 7:02 p.m. pursuant to Chapter 20 of the Acts of 2025.
- Roll call was conducted: Councilor Davis, Representative Pitone, Representative Lippens, Representative Eldridge, Representative Green, Mayor Wilson, Vice Chair Biton, and Chair Ackman were present.
- With nine members present and zero absent, a quorum was met.
Student Representative Report
- Planning is underway for the senior class trip to the Bahamas.
- The Somerville High School football team is scheduled to play Cambridge Rindge and Latin at Fenway Park on the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, featuring performances by the high school chorus, band, and drumline; tickets are priced at $20.
- Somerville Climate Action Fund grant applications closed on October 13, with proposals submitted by student council members.
- Rehearsals are ongoing for the theater production of Our Town, running November 19–21 for four performances.
- The annual chorus Evening of Song / Halloween Cabaret is scheduled for Thursday, October 29 at 6:30 p.m. in the high school auditorium.
- Homecoming dance tickets are currently on sale, and student work opportunities were highlighted, including the city's school year jobs program and winter snow shoveling.
- District administration confirmed in response to committee inquiry that the Bahamas senior trip is student- and family-organized and is not a district-sponsored or district-supervised event.
Public Comment
- Emily Ruddick-Lillienthal, President of the West Somerville Neighborhood School PTA, presented a letter signed by 130 parents and caregivers thanking staff for returning students to classrooms within 24 hours of the flood, but requested "consistent, transparent and clear communication that reaches every parent and caregiver" twice per week, a caregiver coffee hour, and a full community meeting with virtual access within three weeks.
- A public commenter addressed MCAS performance at the Brown School, highlighting that 80% of students met or exceeded expectations, and noted that the performance gap for high-needs students shrank to 14% in math under targeted data-driven interventions.
- A public commenter praised the Brown School being named a Massachusetts School of Recognition and raised concerns regarding communications and relocation details for students displaced to the Tufts Administration Building (TAB).
- Two public commenters advocated for expanding Community Schools aftercare to include three-year-old preschool students with Individualized Education Programs (IEPs) at the Capuano Early Childhood Center, emphasizing the hardship faced by working families when programs dismiss at 1:45 p.m. without aftercare options.
Student Author Recognition
- Superintendent Carmona recognized Brown School fifth-grade student Zuri Sadeh Manikarnika Sri Raman, author and illustrator of the self-published novel The Binley Girls.
- Sri Raman shared that the book centers on adventures and themes of friendship, courage, and staying true to oneself.
- The School Committee took brief recesses for photographs and book signings.
West Somerville Neighborhood School Flood and Remediation Update
- Superintendent Carmona and Director of Infrastructure Richard Raish reported on the water intrusion at West Somerville Neighborhood School following 1.5 inches of rain over the weekend.
- Rain entered the building through a roof penetration around a clogged roof drain while contractor work was underway on the roof's "red zone" above classrooms.
- Heavy water damage impacted room 306 and the rooms directly beneath it (206 and 106), requiring the removal of waterlogged drywall and insulation, as well as lower wall cutouts in adjoining classrooms and three specialist rooms.
- School was canceled for only one instructional day (Tuesday) as middle school grades (7 and 8) were relocated to the Tufts Administration Building (TAB) and lower grades were reconfigured within unaffected areas of the school building.
- Two industrial hygienists assessed moisture levels, clearing all affected spaces for full drywall restoration and plastering. Structural and finish work is expected to conclude by the end of the week, with painting to follow.
- Full reoccupancy of the restored rooms is anticipated for early to mid-November 2026.
- Director Raish committed to issuing progress reports to city communications for distribution twice per week.
- The contractor has formally denied fault and indicated an intention to submit a change order; city designers (Stantec) and internal staff are investigating the root cause.
Out-of-School Time (OST) and Community Schools Program Report
- Director of Out-of-School Time Rosanna Parabella and Assistant Director Adriana Guareque delivered an annual network overview.
- Community Schools enrollment increased from 940 to 974 students across eight elementary sites, with Hispanic/Latino representation at 61%.
- A revised sliding-scale tuition model ranges from $5 to $169 per week based on household income and size; 346 participating students currently receive financial assistance, subsidies, or vouchers.
- The program restructured staff to eliminate short-shift and redundant positions, increasing hours and retention for core staff while moving overall headcounts from 125 to 117.
- Committee members discussed financial sustainability, aftercare access for students with disabilities, and strategies to increase enrollment at underrepresented sites such as the Healey and Winter Hill schools.
Equity and Excellence Department Report
- Director of Equity and Excellence Dr. Michelle Shannon presented a six-week entry update focusing on building relational trust, visiting all district schools, and observing over 50 classrooms to assess Tier 1 instruction.
- The department is implementing a continuous improvement framework titled "Leading Through Spirals of Inquiry" alongside a cohort of school-based equity specialists.
- Priorities include standardizing Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS) structures across schools, reviewing Child Study Team workflows, and monitoring intervention blocks (X-blocks and WIN blocks).
Annual School Building Walkthrough Memo and Facility Updates
- Representative Pitone highlighted the facilities memo from Transportation and Facilities Coordinator Danielle Berry, praising progress on acoustical upgrades at the Healey School and reiterating requests for additional bike racks at Somerville High School and the Brown School.
- Vice Chair Biton noted that per the School Building Facilities and Maintenance Subcommittee, the Cummings School building project is not slated for inclusion in the upcoming five-year capital cycle.
Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) Preferred Schematic Report Feedback
- Superintendent Carmona announced that the district received feedback from the MSBA at 2:00 p.m. regarding the Preferred Schematic Report submission.
- The MSBA identified approximately eight items requiring clarification within 14 days, primarily concerning special education space planning and descriptive details.
- The district is also collecting focus group data from the Winter Hill and Brown school communities.
Policy Manual Section C Review (Second Reading)
- Vice Chair Biton presented the proposed revisions to Section C of the Somerville Public Schools Policy Manual as recommended by the Rules Subcommittee.
- Representative Pitone moved to approve Section C while excluding Policy CBC (Superintendent Powers and Responsibilities) so it could be referred back to the subcommittee for further review due to dated language.
- Passed 9-0.
High School Diploma Approval for Michael Cochran
- Motion by Representative Lippens, seconded by Representative Pitone, to approve a School Year 2026 Somerville High School diploma for Michael Cochran.
- Passed 9-0.
Somerville Educators Union (SEU) Units A, C, and E Side Letter
- Motion by Representative Lippens, seconded by Representative Green, to authorize the School Committee Chair to sign a side letter agreement with SEU Units A, C, and E.
- The agreement establishes that educators displaced by the West Somerville flood closure will make up the required instructional time on January 4, 2027, with a half-day dismissal at 12:00 p.m. for students.
- Passed 9-0.
Massachusetts Association of School Committees (MASC) Conference Resolutions
- The committee reviewed resolutions scheduled for the upcoming MASC delegate assembly, where Representative Stellman will serve as voting delegate and Representative Pitone as alternate.
- Members discussed Resolution 2 regarding school committee representation on state boards, with Representative Green recommending potential amendments to explicitly permit active school committee members on governing bodies.
- Members noted the resolution renewing support for MSBA assistance programs and discussed future advocacy regarding funding equity.
Somerville High School Chorus Out-of-State Field Trip
- Motion by Representative Lippens, seconded by Representative Biton, to approve a field trip on November 13, 2026 for 40 Somerville High School chorus students to travel via bus to the Dunkin' Donuts Center in Providence, Rhode Island to perform at a Providence Bruins game, at a cost of $22 per student.
- Passed 9-0.
Donation Acceptance from Bristol Myers Squibb
- Motion by Representative Pitone, seconded by Representative Lippens, to accept with gratitude a donation of $7,000 from Bristol Myers Squibb of Cambridge to provide 700 Museum of Science theater tickets for fifth and eighth grade students.
- Passed 9-0.
Committee Calendar and Community Announcements
- Representative Pitone requested that administration examine submitting an application to the MSBA Accelerated Repair Program for pending roof, window, and heat pump needs across district facilities.
- Vice Chair Biton promoted the West Somerville PTA-hosted coffee hour scheduled at the TAB on Thursday, October 22 from 8:10 a.m. to 9:10 a.m.
- Members noted that early voting is open at City Hall, highlighted that the ballot contains nine questions, and reminded families that Somerville Public Schools will be closed on Election Day.
Condolences and Adjournment
- Vice Chair Biton offered condolences to the family of Edward Albert Brewster, retired Somerville Public Schools metal fabrication teacher and father of retired SHS English teacher Lisa Brewster Cook.
- The meeting adjourned.