Cambridge School Committee Approves Amigos School Relocation to Former Kennedy-Longfellow School

The Cambridge School Committee unanimously voted to relocate Amigos School to the former Kennedy-Longfellow building, greenlighting a recommendation Superintendent David G. Murphy presented last week.

The vote will move the district’s only Spanish dual-language immersion school to 158 Spring Street, which has been vacant since the district closed K-Lo in June 2025. Amigos is expected to begin operating out of the Spring Street building at the start of the 2028-29 academic year.

The district first opted to close K-Lo due to persistent under-enrollment and a need for significant physical repairs — which will have to be completed before Amigos can make the move. The relocation will require an estimated $14 million to $18 million in renovations, including a full HVAC overhaul, significant window replacements, and electrical and plumbing work as needed, according to the district’s presentation last week.

Moving Amigos was one of three options the School Committee weighed, alongside proposals to establish an early learning center or merge some of the district’s upper schools. But Murphy advocated to house Amigos in the Spring Street building, arguing that the larger facility would allow the district to expand access to one of its highest-performing schools, particularly for high-needs students.

Roughly 418 students attend Amigos, exceeding its current building’s capacity of 416, according to district data. The move would provide additional classroom and support space, with enrollment expected to expand gradually over several years.

At Tuesday’s meeting, Murphy acknowledged that the transition would not be without its challenges.

“There will be burdens and there will be challenges that are borne by the Amigos staff, students, and families that will not be equally shared,” Murphy said.

But he maintained that the move is “absolutely in the best interest of all of our students throughout the school system.”

Murphy said the committee would likely need to consider additional policy decisions, including whether to give East Cambridge residents preference based on their proximity to the Spring Street facility in selecting students for newly available spots at the school. In Cambridge, families rank their top choices for elementary schools, and students’ school placements are chosen through a lottery.

The district has also identified potential future uses for the Upton Street building, including early childhood and alternative education programming. But Murphy did not detail when proposals for the facility would be presented to the School Committee.

After the School Committee’s vote, Murphy congratulated Amigos Principal Sara B. Marrero and her staff.

“I know it will be a great opportunity for that school,” Murphy said.

—Staff writer Tess E. Sumner can be reached at [email protected].