Gravellese Stepping Down From School Comm.

By Adam Swift

While the resignation of Mayor Brian Arrigo got the big headlines this week, another long-time elected official in Revere announced that she was also stepping down from office.

In a letter to Revere residents, Susan Gravellese announced that she will be resigning from the School Committee, effective May 5. Gravellese, a 1982 graduate of Revere High School, was first elected to the committee in 2013.

Gravellese stated that she will be relocating outside of Revere, and her resignation will be effective as of May 5.

“This change is driven by personal and family reasons,” Gravellese stated.

Supt. of Schools Dr. Dianne Kelly said, “I am very happy for both Ms. Gravellese and Mayor Arrigo as they move on to the next phases of their lives.  Both have been staunch advocates for the children of Revere and for the school department and their departure will leave a large void.  They have both helped further the district to ensure all students have what they need to achieve success.  We are very excited to welcome Jacqueline Chavez to the  School Committee.  She is a teacher and an education policy specialist, she understands what our schools need.  Interim Mayor Keefe has also been a very strong advocate of the school department and as a members of the School Building Committee, has been deeply involved in the years of work already dedicated to this project.  With so many families with young children moving to Revere in recent years, I am hopeful that the citizens will keep the schools in mind when they go to the polls.  We desperately need to get the new high school building off the ground and since that now appears to be at the site of the existing high school, we’ll need to begin planning for a new central middle school as well.

Gravellese said the positive experiences she has been afforded as a member of the Revere School Committee cannot be overstated.

“I’ve appreciated and learned from every moment spent with colleagues and constituents as we’ve navigated through both triumphs and challenges together,” she stated. “As I move on to this new chapter of my life, I will be forever grateful for those moments – and for the trust that you have placed in me over the last decade to provide service to our schools, our children, and our community.”

In recent months, Gravellese has been a vocal advocate for the building of a new Revere High School at the Wonderland site, addressing the City Council in her role as a committee member, as well as a resident.

While Gravellese is stepping down from her position on the School Committee, it is far from the end of her service to Revere community.

“I look forward to continuing my ties with and dedication to this great city as the General Manager of the new Robert J. Haas Jr. Health and Wellness Center,” she stated. “I would like to extend a sincere and heartfelt thank you to the City of Revere and its constituents, to my family, and to my friends for the support that you have given me – past, present, and future. As they say, ‘you can take the girl out of Revere, but you can’t take Revere out of the girl.’”