As someone in Somerville I notice that there are quite high prices regarding childcare. The average family in Somerville pays $1,100 to $3,500 for daycare per month, and I want to make the costs more affordable. I have also noticed that housing is quite expensive in Somerville, and I have come up with a solution to fix both of these, and, as some people might know, to fix the ongoing problem of what should happen with the Winter Hill and the Brown School.
As a sixth grader who graduated the Brown School in the 2024-2025 school year, I'm quite sad that the city plans to demolish the Brown School. I think that the Brown School being in the top ten schools in MA, it should continue to remain a school so that it can continue to better educate students. Also, I think that the city's plans of building a larger school would then hinder the ability of some of the students to easily get there. For example, I have been walking to school by myself since first grade. My sister Anna walks to school by herself as well, and soon my 4yo sister Nora will do so as well. But if the larger school is built it will be at a distance where most likely the children who attended the Brown School, previously, will not be able to walk there.
My proposition is that they should save the Brown School, but also continue to build the larger school, because the Winter Hill is in urgent need of attention. The Brown School, however, is in much better condition. Also, I would like to note that the main people pushing for the Brown School to be demolished are also people who have never, or do not have children who have or will or do attend the Brown School.
As a former student, I want to have the Brown School stay how it is, and my proposition is thus. If, by the date they have chosen to demolish the Brown School, there are more children than the larger school will be able to accommodate, then the Brown School will have to stay a school. So I propose there should more childcare in Somerville.
The way that would happen is by passing a law that says all buildings would be allowed to build an additional story higher, if there is a currently functioning daycare on the ground floor. This would solve the problem by making it so that by the date the Brown School would be demolished there would be more people who have either (1) decided to have a second child or (2) moved to Somerville because of the daycare availability. This means there will be an amount of children who cannot be put into the larger school, and thus the Brown School will remain open.