The Revere Teachers Association issues the following statement regarding the Revere City Council meeting scheduled for April 24.
The Revere Teachers Association urges the Revere City Council to approve without reservation spending the money necessary to assess the cost and viability of building a new high school at the site of the current Revere High School.
The council has an obligation to the community to keep a high-school project moving forward. Conducting a feasibility study of building a new school at the existing Revere High site is imperative for the city to still be eligible for funding from the Massachusetts School Building Authority. Securing significant funding from the state to address this urgent municipal need is the most prudent way to pay for the project.
But make no mistake: A new high school is necessary regardless of how it gets paid for. Students are now forced to learn in inadequate conditions. The city is risking the future of students should our high school lose state accreditation because of its decrepit condition.
Furthermore, the construction of a new high school must be viewed as part of a larger plan to meet the needs of students now and into the future. Overcrowding is a problem in our other schools. Staffing and programs will need to keep pace with our students’ needs.
In deciding that the Wonderland site was not suitable to use for a new Revere High School, councilors indicated that they believe the site may have better strategic uses. The Revere Teachers Association expects the City Council to apply the same type of long-term strategic thinking when it comes to supporting public education in our city.
