Watertown Public Schools — Facilities

Watertown's facilities picture has been dominated for months by a wave of large construction and capacity projects unfolding across the district. In November 2025, the School Committee approved the five-year Capital Improvement Plan (FY2027-2031), which now heads to the City Council — covering generators at Cunniff and Lowell, a solar canopy and playground sunshades at Hosmer, extensive upgrades at the Phillips Administration Building (roof, boiler, elevator, and windows), and district-wide security and technology improvements, while middle school improvements were left undetermined pending City Council direction.

Attention then shifted to the centerpiece project: the new Watertown High School. In January 2026, Superintendent Galdston confirmed the new building is slated to open for the 2026-27 school year in September, with teachers relocating classrooms at the end of June and preparation time set aside before students arrive. By April, the School Building Committee reported the project was nearing completion but that an Eversource electrical service delay had pushed the finish slightly beyond the April 30 target — a modest slip against a larger timeline that remains on course.

Alongside the high school, planning for the middle school has accelerated. In early March, the district reported current planning is moving toward a full rebuild rather than a renovation, with modular classrooms a possibility during construction; if approved, construction could begin in 2027 with completion around 2029 — not yet a final construction approval. Later in April, cost estimates for the planned new middle school were reported to hold at approximately $112 million.

Enrollment pressure is the other thread families should watch. As of early May 2026, Lowell Elementary has 75 of its 80 available kindergarten seats filled, and the district is nearing capacity at several elementary schools. Families in buffer zones have been notified that school assignment adjustments may be necessary to balance enrollment, meaning some families could see changes in the near term even as the big building projects move forward.