Regular School Committee Meeting - March 2, 2026

• Governing Body: Somerville School Committee
• Meeting Type: Regular School Committee Meeting
• Date: March 02, 2026
• Attendees:
  • President Lance Davis
  • Member Laura Pitone (Virtual)
  • Member Michele Lippens
  • Member Elizabeth Eldridge
  • Member Andre Green
  • Mayor Jake Wilson
  • Member Leiran Biton
  • Member Emily Ackman
  • Superintendent Rubén Carmona

• The meeting was called to order at 7:01 p.m.
• A moment of silence was observed followed by the Pledge of Allegiance.
• Superintendent Carmona conducted the roll call; eight members were present, establishing a quorum.

• Senior Updates (Aiden):
  • Reported on the success of the Class Cup and increased student spirit.
  • Senior Prom will be held at the State Room in Boston. Nearly 200 tickets have been sold, with financial assistance available for students in need.
• Club Highlights (Pavlika):
  • Highlighted the Highland Advocate, a new student-run newspaper founded by junior Carmen Wheeler.
  • The Community Service Club will attend the Inspire Massachusetts Youth Leadership Institute on March 18th. They previously ran a multicultural reading program for Pre-K and Kindergarten students at the Capuano School.

The following is a summary of public testimony regarding district priorities and the proposed closure of the Brown School:

• Brown School Closure Concerns:

  • Sarah Campbell (18 Troll St): Expressed concern over closing a high-performing school (ranked 101 in the state) to build a "900 student behemoth." She argued that larger schools are harder to manage and may increase segregation.
  • Kaitlyn Romo (3rd Grade Student): Shared an emotional plea to keep the school open, stating, "Imagine that 100 times worse because you're not leaving a classroom, you're leaving a whole school for all eternity."
  • Allison Chocolis (89 Rogers Ave): Questioned the decision-making process and emphasized the value of walkable neighborhood schools.
  • Kelly Williamson (Ward 6): Opposed the 900-capacity building, citing concerns over walkability and the loss of the district's only K-5 environment.
  • Jeremiah Hay: Argued that "new buildings do not make better schools" and urged investment in staff over construction.
  • Ksenia Samahvalova (Ward 6): Clarified that the Construction Advisory Group (CAG) did not recommend closing the Brown School and urged the Committee to take responsibility for the decision.

• Staffing and Budget Priorities:

  • Leah Charbonneau & Kayla Burgess (West Somerville Teachers): Requested additional math and reading interventionists. Burgess noted that 32% of her 6th-grade students are two or more grade levels behind in math.
  • Hannah D'Souza (Argenziano Teacher): Advocated for converting SCI 1 positions into ESL specialists to support multilingual learners as newcomer programs close.
  • Cesar Oronaga (ESCS Teacher): Highlighted the lack of math intervention in middle grades at East Somerville Community School.
  • Ray Woodcock (East Somerville Teacher): Reported that 11 of 20 students in their 4th-grade class read below benchmark and requested more ESL specialists.
  • Naina Sood-Fox & Karina Johansing (East Somerville Teachers): Praised the inclusion model pilot. Sood-Fox noted that her students made 94% of their annual expected growth in just four months due to the support of an inclusion teacher.

Director of Athletics Stanley Vieira presented an update on the district's sports programs:

• Achievements: Somerville High School was ranked 6th in Massachusetts for overall winning percentage by the Boston Globe.
• Participation: Participation reached all-time highs with 360 students in fall sports and 343 in winter sports.
• Financials:
  • Facility costs include payments to FMC (Rink), DCR (Foss Park), and Somerville Recreation.
  • Transportation costs have risen significantly due to increased roster sizes.
• Equity Initiatives:
  • The district maintains a "no pay-for-play" policy.
  • Uniforms are on a strict four-year rotation for all varsity teams.
  • Implementation of a Captain’s Council and sports psychology interns from Boston University.

Principal Pelletier presented the school's progress and goals:

• Academic Excellence: Focused on student discourse. iReady data showed a significant increase in ELA growth for students identifying as Latinx.
• Equity and Access: Goal for every student to have a connection with a caring adult. The school partnered with Big Brothers Big Sisters, increasing matches from 7 to 22 this year.
• Wellness and Joy: Re-established the Student Council and implemented "Westy Besty" peer mentoring between older and younger grades.

Principal Berenice Meis-Diaz presented the school's progress:

• Unidos Program: The dual-language program saw the largest ACCESS growth in the district.
• Academic Growth: 5th and 6th-grade students in the inclusion pilot showed exceptional iReady growth, with some subgroups exceeding 100% of their annual growth goal by mid-year.
• Attendance: Student attendance is near 95%, and staff attendance has also increased.
• Goal: Aiming for 70% of students to be reading at proficiency by the end of the 2027 school year.

Perkins Eastman representatives Lisa Pecora and Robert Bell provided a status update on the feasibility study for the new school building:

• Timeline:
  • March 31, 2026: Submission of Preliminary Design Program (PDP) to MSBA.
  • August 2026: Preferred Schematic Report (PSR) submission.
  • June 2027: Anticipated debt exclusion ballot vote.
  • 2031: Targeted move-in date.
• Enrollment Options: The MSBA is evaluating two enrollment caps: 690 students and 925 students.
• Design Principles: The project emphasizes "scale and age-appropriateness," creating distinct learning neighborhoods for elementary and middle school students within the larger facility.
• Next Steps: A special meeting is scheduled for March 9, 2026, for the first reading of the Educational Program.

• Diploma Request: The Committee voted unanimously (8-0) to approve a high school diploma request for David Didier.
• Meeting Schedule: The administration presented a proposed meeting schedule for the 2026-2027 school year for Committee review.

• Retirement: Will Burvis, Special Education Department Coordinator at Kennedy School (5 years of service).
• New Hires: Claire Messier (Technology Specialist Trainer) and Wayne Gethers (Special Education Paraprofessional).
• Adjustments: Gladys Valle (MLE Assistant Director) will transition to a new position at the end of the school year.

• The meeting was adjourned at 10:28 p.m.