Arrigo Welcomes Revere Students Back for 2021 School Year: Updated Policies and Procedures Aimed at Keeping Kids in Classrooms

For the first time since early March 2020, all 11 Revere Public Schools will be open at full capacity for the 2021 school year. The School Department has worked closely with the Mayor’s Office, the Revere Department of Public Health, and the School Committee to update a number of policies, procedures and safety guidelines to welcome students back and help keep kids in classrooms throughout this academic year.

“We are excited to welcome all of our students back to the classroom this year,” said Mayor Brian Arrigo. “Since the beginning of this pandemic, getting back to in-person learning has been a priority. We are working closely with the Department of Public Health to ensure safety for all our students, educators, and staff.”

 Revere Public School students and families have been notified of the following policies and procedures to ensure safety:

• All staff, students, and visitors to schools are required to wear an approved mask while indoors and on school buses.

• RPS has hired health aide professionals for all schools to assist with COVID protocols, pool testing, contact tracing and other necessary procedures to stem the spread of the delta variant in schools.

• RPS has also hired additional nurses to fill gap positions and increase the number of float nurses across the district.

• Pooled COVID testing will be conducted each week at all schools to quickly identify and isolate any asymptomatic COVID cases.

• RPS adopted the Department of Early and Secondary Education’s “Test and Stay” Policy.

• The Revere Department of Public Health will host a series of vaccination clinics for families and eligible students.

Revere Public Schools are working with the Revere Department of Public Health to interpret and implement DESE guidance related to contact tracing of students and staff.  All departments fully expect guidance to continue to evolve throughout the school year. The Revere Public Schools will continue to work with their partner medical professionals to make adjustments as COVID-19 circumstances change.

“We are really excited to welcome Revere students back to school,” said Dr. Dianne Kelly, Superintendent of Revere Public Schools. “This year has been difficult for students, parents, teachers, and staff. We will closely monitor the impact of COVID on our schools and continue to work with the Revere Department of Public Health to ensure safety for all in the coming months. The coming school year definitely brings its challenges, but we are thrilled to be opening school with in-person learning this year.”

The guidelines for safely reopening the schools can be found on the Revere Public Schools website. The Revere Board of Health urges all families to read up on safety protocols before the school year begins.

“The first day of full in person learning for RPS is a huge milestone for the City of Revere as we continue to wade through this pandemic together,” said Dr. Nathalee Kong, Chair of the Revere. “I would like to acknowledge Lauren Buck, the director of the Revere Department of Public Health, for spearheading the development of our safety protocols in conjunction with the DESE protocols to ensure safe in-person learning this year as well as Dr. Kelly, her team, the RPS teachers and staff for their commitment to keeping our children safe and educated during these trying times. This has been an enormous team effort and I am so excited to start this new school year!”