Community News

The Revere Local Schools District is moving forward with the potential sale of the Richfield School building, located at 4315 W. Streetsboro Road.

RICHFIELD — At the Revere Local Schools District Board of Education meeting March 18, Revere Treasurer David Forrest reported the district is moving forward with the potential sale of the Richfield School building, located at 4315 W. Streetsboro Road in Richfield Village.

Photos: Ken Crisafi

The board approved a resolution declaring that the Richfield School building is no longer needed for any district purpose and authorizing the sale of the property. The resolution also authorizes advertising the sale and listing the building in an auction, steps the state requires for the sale of a school building, according to Forrest. He added a commercial property evaluation already has been competed.

Superintendent Elisabeth McNicholas said while the building cannot be left as it is — unused and uninhabited by the district — the board also recognizes the building holds special memories for some local residents.

McNicholas said Revere High School English teacher Don Welsh has videotaped events at the school in an effort to capture some of the history and memories. McNicholas said if the district does sell the building, it would hold a ceremony to allow the community to reminisce and say goodbye.

In other news:

• Forrest informed the board the district received two new grants that will provide funds for the operating budget. One is a $23,000 grant for the automation of the library, and the other is a $19,700 School Net grant for technology.
• Forrest received approval for a transfer of $60,000 from the general fund to the athletic fund, a $10,000 increase of this annual transfer compared to recent years. Forrest said the district’s athletic successes have resulted in increased expenses, including the costs of tournament participation, additional security and increased supervision at games.
• The board approved a $31,715 contract with Homefield Turf for athletic field maintenance for the 2008 sports season.
• The board approved a three-year, $78,336 contract with Nason Landscaping for lawn mowing and other general landscape maintenance.
• Marisa Bavaro, director of operations, reported the district has received more than 90 applications for the position of assistant principal at Revere Middle School.
• On March 15 at the Akron regional Science Olympiad competition, the high school team took first place in its division and the middle school team took second place in its division. Both teams qualified for the state competition in April. According to Revere High School Principal Bill Adams, this is the eighth year in a row that a team from the high school has been at the regional championship.
• The board honored this year’s district winners in Reflections, a national fine arts competition.
• The board viewed a videotaped demonstration on fire safety created by Hillcrest Elementary School first-grader Jack Krew. With the help of his parents, Beth and Dave Krew, Jack explained how and when to change batteries in a smoke detector.
• The board recognized the Revere High School cheerleading team, which won the Division II, nonmount Cheerleading State Competition, the second state championship in school history, according to district officials. [See the sports section of the March 20, 2008, West Side Leader, or visit the archives at www.akron.com, for more details.]
• In his report to the board, Bath Elementary School Principal Fred Tomei announced three teachers were awarded grants to study science this summer. Jennifer Huff (fourth grade) and John Faust (fifth grade) will participate in a geology study in Wyoming, and Michele Fling (fourth grade) will attend an Earth Science leadership workshop in Texas.
• Tomei also reported the school hosted Howard McKisson, a survivor of the 1932 school fire, sometimes called the “Bath blast.” McKisson, who is 93 and the uncle of Hillcrest Elementary School second-grade teacher Janet Schwager, recounted his memories of the event, which resulted in the death of one student, according to Tomei.

• Recent donations to the district include:

• $2,836 from Bath Volunteers for Service to the district for microphones, a camera, dictionaries and thesauruses;
• $1,500 from Edward and Kathleen Butler to Revere High School for the Paulette Memorial Scholarship; and
• $1,484 from the Revere Middle School PTA for badminton standards and folding tables.

• Calendar items include:

• April 9: Senior citizens breakfast, 9 a.m., Revere High School cafeteria, followed by a preview performance of the spring musical “The Music Man” at 10 a.m.; and
• April 10-13: the Revere Players will present “The Music Man” in the high school auditorium April 10-12 at 7:30 p.m. and April 13 at 2 p.m.

The next Revere Board of Education meeting will be April 15 at 7 p.m. at the board’s Administrative Office, 3496 Everett Road.