Board puts damper on plans for field house expansion
Revere Local Schools Board of Education
By Anne Dennée
A group of Revere sports boosters and community members wants to build an 8,000-square-foot addition to the Revere High School field house, but the Revere Local Schools Board of Education is not sure the district can commit to the project any time soon.
Supporters of the proposed addition say it would cost about $400,000 and they have secured funding for half that amount from local businesses and residents.
“We have been working with varsity coaches, private donors and the Revere All-Sports Booster Club to provide a first-class health facility” for Revere students, said Bryan Fredericks, president of the All-Sports Booster Club.
Fredericks said the addition would include weight machines, biometrics, a running track and baseball cages.
“It would benefit all sports,” said Fredericks, “and we estimate that more than 63 percent of high school students would use the new facility.”
At a May 15 Revere Board of Education meeting, backers of the proposed addition asked the board for its support and for the remaining funds.
The board responded by explaining that, when voters passed a permanent improvement levy in 2001, a committee developed a list of priorities for the levy money. District Treasurer David Forrest said the district has largely completed the list. Projects have included baseball and softball field renovations, electrical system updates, bus replacements, technology upgrades and roof repairs.
Board President Diana Sabitsch said the board was “very appreciative” of the offer and of the time and effort that has been spent on the proposed field house addition. However, she said the money remaining in the permanent improvement fund has already been scheduled for allocation for the next school year (2007-08). She invited interested parties to get involved in the discussion for how the money will be allocated for the following fiscal year (2008-09).
“We wish we had the money to do every facility project that came up,” said Interim Superintendent Elisabeth McNicholas, “but we have some pretty important projects on the horizon,” citing a new bus garage as a high priority.
Sabitsch also mentioned the bus garage, calling the current one “deplorable,” and estimated a new bus facility would cost at least $850,000.
After the meeting, Sabitsch said the board would continue to talk and work with supporters of the proposed field house addition to see if they can make the project a reality in the future. But, she said, “it’s just not possible to do it right away.”
Matt Wracher, a member of the Revere Gridiron Club, said after the meeting that he and others have been working on the plan for more than a year.
“We will keep trying,” said Wracher. “The community is ready to act on this.”
In other news, the board:
• agreed to replace McNicholas’ contract with a new three-year contract as assistant superintendent. McNicholas has been serving as Revere’s interim superintendent since August of 2006. McNicholas had been in contention for the superintendent position until April, when she withdrew from consideration for the position. The search for a superintendent is continuing now with the help of a search firm. Applications are due May 25 [see related News & Notes item below];
• announced Hillcrest Elementary School received a $2,800 GAR Foundation grant that will fund a blogging (Web log) program for kindergarten students; and
• approved a new, consistent student fee structure for the 2007-08 school year as follows: Hillcrest and Bath elementary schools, $35; Revere Middle School, $40; and Revere High School, $75.
Recent donations to the district include: $7,500 to Revere Middle School from the Revere PTA for two SMARTboards and projectors; $5,688 to Hillcrest Elementary School from the Hillcrest PTA for two SMARTboards and projectors; $1,000 to Revere High School from Mark and Stacy Totten to fund the Team Scholarship; and $955 to Bath Elementary School from the Bath PTA for physical education equipment.
Prior to the business portion of the meeting, the board honored several students and teachers:
√ eighth-grade American history students from Revere Middle School and their teachers, Jed McKnight and Melanie Stuthard, who are involved with the Rivers, Roads and Rails grant;
√ Claudia Prinzo, Student Council moderator for Revere Middle School, who won the Adviser of the Year Award from the Ohio State Board of Student Councils;
√ the staff of Revere High School’s newspaper, the Lantern, which won a first-place award at the 2007 NOSPA (Northeast Ohio Scholastic Press Association) Press Day Contest in April;
√ parents Beth D’Amico and Christine Burlotos, for their leadership with the Kids-to-Kids program;
√ Hillcrest Elementary School, for winning the Most Important Volunteer Award for 2006-07 from Akron Public Schools for the program, in which Hillcrest “adopted” Lincoln Elementary School, raising more than $24,000 to donate a book for each student at the school; and
√ Marta Stewart-Bates, a senior at Revere High School, for being named a high school Academic All-American swimmer. Marta, who is captain of the swimming team and a state qualifier in two events, is also a National Merit Finalist.
The next regular Revere Board of Education meeting will be June 26 at 7 p.m. at the board’s Administrative Office, 3496 Everett Road.
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