At its last board meeting earlier this month the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) voted to authorize inviting the City of Revere to collaborate with the MSBA in conducting a Feasibility Study to build a new high school in the city.
Revere was one of five school districts chosen by the MSBA on April 15 with the others being the Town of Brookline, the City of Haverhill, the Spencer-East Brookfield Regional School District, and the Town of Webster.
The vote by the MSBA comes on the heels of a vote by the Revere City Council to approve a $2 million appropriation to begin the Feasibility Study to build a new high school in the city back in February.
“We are so excited to begin this new phase of the process to build a new Revere High School,†said Revere Public School Superintendent Dr. Dianne Kelly. “With so much negativity surrounding us, this news was a welcomed bright spot.â€
Kelly said she’ll be reaching out to the New High School Visioning Committee later this week to schedule a virtual meeting.
“We need to keep that work progressing,†said Kelly. “The Building Committee also has a meeting scheduled for next week. We have a lot of work to do as we plan for OPM (Owners Project Manager) selection and hope to complete that by the end of summer. After that, we will work with the MSBA on the selection process and proceed from there. We expect feasibility to take about two years.â€
In 2018 Revere Public Schools cleared a major hurdle during a MSBA board meeting. At that meeting the MSBA board voted to invite Revere and ten other school districts that filed Statements of Interest (SOI) this year to take part in the eligibility process that could ultimately lead to grant money to build a new high school here.
Over the past year Revere residents have been participating in meetings and workshops to share their ideas on how to guide the Visioning Team as it sets sail on a historic course to bring a new high school to the city.
The Visioning Team, said Kelly, will really be the team that decides what programs should be included at a new high school.
Things like biotechnology programs or a culinary arts program or a hospitality program are all ideas that are being considered as the plan moves forward. Also the team will help craft what instruction looks like and how Revere Schools build classrooms that support the kind of instruction that the district wants to see.
Kelly said once Revere Public Schools enter this feasibility period the Visioning Team will really start having discussions with the MSBA on shaping a new high school in the city.
