Winter Hill Community School closed for rest of school year; classes to resume June 8 in other locations
SOMERVILLE - Somerville Public Schools and the city of Somerville announced that Winter Hill Community School will remain closed for the rest of the school year due to safety concerns and students will resume class on Thursday, June 8, at other locations.
This comes after a piece of concrete fell into a stairwell last week. It happened after dismissal, so no students or staff were hurt.
"Out of an abundance of caution, due to a piece of nonstructural concrete that fell in the north stairwell, we relocated students to temporary classrooms," says Somerville Mayor Katjana Ballantyne, "This is due to fire safety requirements which have been impacted by closing the north stairwell."
In a press conference on Monday, Somerville Director of Infrastructure Rich Raiche called Winter Hill School the most remediated and attention seeking building in the city's portfolio of properties.
"Most of the problems, issues in the building relate to water infiltration," tells Raiche.
Since 2017, the city has replaced the roof, windows, doors, and skylight. Last year, the chiller in the HVAC broke forcing students to learn in hot classrooms.
"It has been a problem we have been chasing quite a while. We are now investigating seams in the concrete walls to eliminate more water infiltration," explained Raiche. "We clearly see that chasing problems in this building is a fool's errand, which is why last year's fiscal budget included funding for a comprehensive plan to fully renovate or replace the Winter Hill."
Teachers and parents said they've been telling the mayor the school is unsafe for many years. They want to see the city build a new school; however, Mayor Ballantyne would not say if Winter Hill is next on the school's construction list.
"We have gotten the same answers time and time again over the course of the last year, which is we need to study the problem," says Rami Bridge, President of the Somerville Educators Union. "Even now after what we are seeing, the school has to close and that students are being shuttled all over the city and missing school days, that we are still going to study the problem, and not build something is disappointing."
"I think the condition of our building sends a really clear message to our students about their worth," says Winter Hill teacher Kara Dodd. "Our school is gaining three additional classrooms next year. We are going to be moving into closets between classroom spaces."
The district said between Monday, June 5 and Wednesday, June 7, teachers and staff will move their classroom materials to their new temporary locations.
Students will be relocated to the following locations:
- AIM classrooms will move to the first floor of Edgerly Building at 8 Bonair Street.
- Pre-K and Kindergarten will move to the Capuano Early Childhood Center at 150 Glen Street.
- Grades 1-8 will move to Tufts University's Olin Hall on 180 Packard Avenue in Medford (on the Somerville line).
Busing will be provided for AIM students and grades 1-8. No busing is planned for Pre-K and Kindergarten and families are told to contact their child's teacher or the school administration with any questions or concerns.
"Closing a school is always a last resort," said Somerville interim-Superintendent Jeff Curley. "We are arranging transportation for our students to travel from Winter Hill to Tufts."
Families will not be able to drive students to and from Olin Hall. If they choose to, they need to park in surrounding neighborhoods and walk over.
Students who need meals before school resumes can pick up meals from 7:30 a.m. to 9 a.m. at the City Hall Annex at 50 Evergreen Avenue.
There will also be a drop-in recreation program for children from Monday to Wednesday, where meals will be available. This will be held at the Founders Memorial Skating Rink, next to the Veterans Rink at 570 Somerville Avenue.