The Out of School Time (OST) Steering Committee, a city-school collaborative group, initiated the Afterschool Needs Assessment Survey in order to better inform strategic planning for system-wide improvements in access to OST programming.

The survey was developed and administered in partnership with SomerPromise, SomerStat, and Somerville Public Schools. We received responses from 742 families representing 1,046 PK-6th grade students. This represents ~37% of SPS PK-6th grade students, with enough respondents from all demographic groups (e.g. school, income) to weigh the data to assess equitable access to care.

In response to the survey and other available data sets, the number of full-time afterschool slots has been increased by 23% (244 seats). This accomplishment was made possible by contracting Apollo, an external provider, to operate in two additional schools, as well as expansion in slot capacity across all eight SPS Community Schools. Additionally, the Somerville YMCA was approved for a pilot to use space at Somerville High School by adding up to 52 full-time afterschool slots.

The data determined that 50-57% of families enrolled in SPS with school-age children need full-time afterschool care. These increases in capacity mean that in SY 25-26, 53% of all Somerville PK-6th grade youth may be served in full-time afterschool slots.