Somerville Scholarship Committee Sets April Selection Meeting, Tables Fundraising Plans

Other Committee · Meeting of March 16, 2026

Somerville Municipal Scholarship Committee advances application cycle and defers fundraising strategy to summer. The committee, meeting March 16 via Zoom, approved minutes and confirmed that translated outreach flyers have been distributed and posted, with applications due March 27 and an in-person recipient selection meeting tentatively set for Tuesday, April 8, at 6 p.m. at the Somerville Public Library. Committee member Charles proposed a spreadsheet model to allow real-time testing of scoring multipliers, particularly to address GPA comparisons across schools with different grading scales.

City finance staffer Linda disclosed that the fund, which carries a balance in the low $90,000 range, recently separated its merchant and bank accounts following a wave of small-dollar fraudulent transactions, and that solicitation flyers inserted with roughly 40,000 to 43,000 annual excise tax bills remain the fund's primary donation driver, with individual gifts ranging from a few dollars to $1,000. The committee agreed to defer formal fundraising planning until after the current selection cycle, with Charles noting, "I don't want us to elbow out, say Somerville High School's specific programs."

In the full story:

• The complete report — 839 words

Source: the Other Committee meeting of March 16, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.