Somerville Public Schools, Massachusetts, elections

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Somerville Public Schools
District details
School board members: 9
Students: 4,884 (2022-2023)
Schools: 11 (2022-2023)
Website: Link

Somerville Public Schools is a school district in Massachusetts (Middlesex County). During the 2023 school year, 4,884 students attended one of the district's 11 schools.

This page provides information regarding school board members, election rules, finances, academics, policies, and more details about the district.

Jump to a section:

Elections School board Location Budget Academic performance Students Staff Schools

Elections

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• 2019

Somerville School Committee Ward 1

General election

General election for Somerville School Committee Ward 1

Incumbent Emily Ackman won election in the general election for Somerville School Committee Ward 1 on November 5, 2019.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Emily Ackman (Nonpartisan)	97.9	1,152
		Other/Write-in votes	2.1	25

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,177
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Somerville School Committee Ward 2

General election

General election for Somerville School Committee Ward 2

Ilana Krepchin won election in the general election for Somerville School Committee Ward 2 on November 5, 2019.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Ilana Krepchin (Nonpartisan)	98.5	1,453
		Other/Write-in votes	1.5	22

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,475
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Somerville School Committee Ward 3

General election

General election for Somerville School Committee Ward 3

Sarah Phillips defeated Mary Marshall in the general election for Somerville School Committee Ward 3 on November 5, 2019.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Sarah Phillips (Nonpartisan)	59.3	1,377
	Submit photo	Mary Marshall (Nonpartisan)	40.5	941
		Other/Write-in votes	0.2	5

---

	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 2,323
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Somerville School Committee Ward 4

General election

General election for Somerville School Committee Ward 4

Incumbent Andre Green won election in the general election for Somerville School Committee Ward 4 on November 5, 2019.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Andre Green (Nonpartisan)	98.6	1,235
		Other/Write-in votes	1.4	18

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	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,253
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Somerville School Committee Ward 5

General election

General election for Somerville School Committee Ward 5

Incumbent Laura Pitone won election in the general election for Somerville School Committee Ward 5 on November 5, 2019.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Laura Pitone (Nonpartisan)	98.4	1,902
		Other/Write-in votes	1.6	30

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,932
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Somerville School Committee Ward 6

General election

General election for Somerville School Committee Ward 6

Ellenor Barish won election in the general election for Somerville School Committee Ward 6 on November 5, 2019.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Ellenor Barish (Nonpartisan)	98.5	1,528
		Other/Write-in votes	1.5	24

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	There were no incumbents in this race. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,552
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

Somerville School Committee Ward 7

General election

General election for Somerville School Committee Ward 7

Incumbent Caroline Normand defeated Tara Ten Eyck in the general election for Somerville School Committee Ward 7 on November 5, 2019.

		Candidate	%	Votes
✔	Submit photo	Caroline Normand (Nonpartisan)	74.3	1,236
	Submit photo	Tara Ten Eyck (Nonpartisan)	25.3	421
		Other/Write-in votes	0.4	7

---

	Incumbents are bolded and underlined. The results have been certified. Source	Total votes: 1,664
= candidate completed the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection survey.
If you are a candidate and would like to tell readers and voters more about why they should vote for you, complete the Ballotpedia Candidate Connection Survey.

About the district

School board

Somerville Public Schools consists of nine members serving two-year terms. To find information about school board meetings, click here.

List of school board members

Name	Seat	Year assumed office	Year term ends
Katjana Ballantyne
Judy Pineda Neufeld
Leiran Biton	Ward 7	2024
Ellenor Barish	Ward 6	2020
Ilana Krepchin	Ward 2	2020
Sarah Phillips	Ward 3	2020
Emily Ackman	Ward 1	2018
Andre Green	Ward 4	2016
Laura Pitone	Ward 5	2014

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District map

School district map

Overlapping state house districts

Somerville Public Schools

Office Name	Current Officeholder	Party	% School District Covered	% Other District Covered
Massachusetts House of Representatives 27th Middlesex District	Erika Uyterhoeven	Democratic Party	46%	100%
Massachusetts House of Representatives 26th Middlesex District	Mike Connolly	Democratic Party	28%	46%
Massachusetts House of Representatives 34th Middlesex District	Christine Barber	Democratic Party	25%	34%

The table was limited to the lower chamber because it provides the most granularity. State house districts tend to be more numerous and therefore smaller than state senate or U.S. House districts. This provides an impression of the partisan affiliations in the area.

Budget

The following statistics were published by the National Center for Education Statistics, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Education.

• Revenue
• Expenditures

Revenue, 2020-2021

SOURCE	AMOUNT	AMOUNT PER STUDENT	PERCENT
Federal:	$7,580,000	$1,616	5%
Local:	$88,501,000	$18,866	58%
State:	$55,615,000	$11,856	37%
Total:	$151,696,000	$32,338

Expenditures, 2020-2021

TYPE	AMOUNT	AMOUNT PER STUDENT	PERCENT
Total Expenditures:	$198,407,000	$42,295
Total Current Expenditures:	$112,935,000	$24,074
Instructional Expenditures:	$67,605,000	$14,411	34%
Student and Staff Support:	$19,406,000	$4,136	10%
Administration:	$11,884,000	$2,533	6%
Operations, Food Service, Other:	$14,040,000	$2,992	7%
Total Capital Outlay:	$68,336,000	$14,567
Construction:	$62,752,000	$13,377
Total Non El-Sec Education & Other:	$0	$0
Interest on Debt:	$3,227,000	$687

Academic performance

Each year, state and local education agencies use tests and other standards to assess student proficiency. Although the data below was published by the U.S. Department of Education, proficiency measurements are established by the states. As a result, proficiency levels are not comparable between different states and year-over-year proficiency levels within a district may not be comparable because states may change their proficiency measurements. To protect student privacy, percentages are reported as ranges for groups of 300 students or fewer. If five or fewer students were included in a data set, the data will display as "PS."

• Mathematics
• Reading/language arts
• Graduation rates

The following table shows the percentage of district students who scored at or above the proficiency level each school year:

School year	All (%)	Asian/Pacific Islander (%)	Black (%)	Hispanic (%)	Native American (%)	Two or More Races (%)	White (%)
2020-2021	26	45-49	10-14	10	PS	40-44	42
2018-2019	44	65-69	25-29	27	PS	55-59	63
2017-2018	48	65-69	30-34	33	PS	50-54	66
2016-2017	51	70-74	40-44	36	PS	45-49	68
2015-2016	54	70-74	35-39	40		50-59	71
2014-2015	54	70-74	30-34	40		50-59	70
2013-2014	48	60-64	30-34	35	PS	50-59	64
2012-2013	47	65-69	25-29	37		40-49	62
2011-2012	40	60-64	24	28	PS	40-59	54
2010-2011	41	55-59	22	30	PS	40-59	54

The following table shows the percentage of district students who scored at or above the proficiency level each school year:

School year	All (%)	Asian/Pacific Islander (%)	Black (%)	Hispanic (%)	Native American (%)	Two or More Races (%)	White (%)
2020-2021	43	60-64	25-29	26	PS	60-64	61
2018-2019	49	65-69	35-39	32	PS	55-59	68
2017-2018	54	75-79	45-49	38	PS	55-59	71
2016-2017	52	65-69	45-49	37	PS	50-54	68
2015-2016	62	75-79	50-54	48		60-69	78
2014-2015	60	70-74	45-49	47		50-59	78
2013-2014	59	65-69	45-49	48	PS	60-69	74
2012-2013	57	70-74	40-44	44		50-59	73
2011-2012	53	65-69	35	42	PS	60-79	68
2010-2011	52	60-64	32	41	PS	60-79	68

The following table shows the graduation rate of district students each school year:

School year	All (%)	Asian/Pacific Islander (%)	Black (%)	Hispanic (%)	Native American (%)	Two or More Races (%)	White (%)
2019-2020	88	>=80	80-89	80-84		PS	90-94
2018-2019	85	>=90	70-79	75-79		PS	90-94
2017-2018	84	>=80	80-89	75-79		PS	90-94
2016-2017	84	>=80	80-89	75-79		PS	85-89
2015-2016	81	>=90	>=90	65-69	PS	PS	90-94
2014-2015	81	>=90	80-89	70-74		PS	90-94
2013-2014	77	80-89	75-79	70-74	PS	PS	75-79
2012-2013	78	>=90	70-79	70-74	PS	PS	75-79
2011-2012	78	>=90	80-84	65-69			80-84
2010-2011	78	80-89	80-84	65-69	PS	PS	85-89

Students

The following statistics were published by the National Center for Education Statistics, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Education.

• Enrollment
• Demographics

Year	Enrollment	Year-to-year change (%)
2022-2023	4,884	4.3
2021-2022	4,673	-0.4
2020-2021	4,691	-5.3
2019-2020	4,939	0.6
2018-2019	4,909	0.8
2017-2018	4,868	-2.9
2016-2017	5,008	0.4
2015-2016	4,987	0.0
2014-2015	4,987	0.9
2013-2014	4,940	0.4
2012-2013	4,922	0.9
2011-2012	4,877	0.5
2010-2011	4,855	0.3
2009-2010	4,842	-0.7
2008-2009	4,877	-0.3
2007-2008	4,890	-1.9
2006-2007	4,984	-2.8
2005-2006	5,125	-5.0
2004-2005	5,383	-4.3
2003-2004	5,616	-2.5
2002-2003	5,757	-0.8
2001-2002	5,802	-4.8
2000-2001	6,081	-4.5
1999-2000	6,355	0.0

Racial Demographics, 2022-2023

RACE	Somerville Public Schools (%)	Massachusetts K-12 STUDENTS (%)
American Indian/Alaska Native	0.1	0.2
Asian or Asian/Pacific Islander	5.6	7.3
Black	8.4	9.4
Hispanic	41.0	24.1
Native Hawaiian/Pacific Islander	0.2	0.1
Two or More Races	5.5	4.4
White	38.8	54.3

Note: Percentages for race and ethnicity may add up to more than 100 percent because respondents may report more than one race and the Hispanic/Latino ethnicity may be selected in conjunction with any race. Read more about race and ethnicity in the census here.

Staff

The following statistics were published by the National Center for Education Statistics, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Education.

• Teachers
• Administrators
• Other staff

As of the 2022-2023 school year, Somerville Public Schools had 430.17 full-time classroom teachers. The student-teacher ratio was 11.35.

Teachers, 2022-2023 school year

TYPE	NUMBER OF TEACHERS
Prekindergarten:	22.67
Kindergarten:	23.70
Elementary:	237.08
Secondary:	146.72
Total:	430.17

Somerville Public Schools employed 43.30 district administrators and 49.90 school administrators as of the 2022-2023 school year.

Administrators, 2022-2023 school year

TYPE	NUMBER OF ADMINISTRATORS
District Administrators:	43.30
District Administrative Support:	30.00
School Administrators:	49.90
School Administrative Support:	31.00

Other staff, 2022-2023 school year

TYPE	NUMBER OF OTHER STAFF
Instructional Aides:	92.80
Instruc. Coordinators & Supervisors:	4.60
Total Guidance Counselors:	17.60
Elementary Guidance Counselors:	9.50
Secondary Guidance Counselors:	8.10
Librarians/Media Specialists:	2.00
Library/Media Support:	7.00
Student Support Services:	74.20
Other Support Services:	12.10

Schools

The following statistics were published by the National Center for Education Statistics, which is a part of the U.S. Department of Education.

Somerville Public Schools operates 11 schools. They are listed below in alphabetical order.

List of schools

SCHOOL NAME	NUMBER OF STUDENTS	GRADES
Albert F. Argenziano School At Lincoln Park	544	PK-8
Arthur D Healey	506	PK-8
Benjamin G Brown	211	KG-5
Capuano Early Childhood Center	213	PK-1
E Somerville Community	729	PK-8
Full Circle High School	54	9-12
John F Kennedy	440	PK-8
Next Wave Junior High	15	7-8
Somerville High	1,310	9-12
West Somerville Neighborhood	371	PK-8
Winter Hill Community	422	PK-8

About school boards

Education legislation in Massachusetts

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See also

School Boards	Education Policy	Local Politics	Massachusetts
List of school districts in Massachusetts Massachusetts school board elections, 2025 School board elections, 2025 School board recalls School board authority in Massachusetts	Massachusetts Department of Education Public education in Massachusetts	Municipal government Local courts Local ballot measures Recalls	Massachusetts Massachusetts elections, 2025 Massachusetts State Legislature Massachusetts state executive offices

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