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Building projects top Revere district’s to-do list



Revere Local Schools Superintendent Matthew Montgomery talked about the district’s mission during his State of the Schools address April 25. Photo: Kathleen Folkerth

RICHFIELD — The plan to build two new Revere Local Schools buildings is keeping Superintendent Matthew Montgomery on his toes, he told an audience of about 50 people at his April 25 State of the Schools address.
“This plan is changing daily,” Montgomery said during his remarks in the Revere High School auditorium before district staff members, parents and community members. “We’re having very candid discussions about what education will look like in Revere for the next 50 years. It’s an amazing and challenging process. We’re trying to find consensus.”
The district plans to build new Bath Elementary School and Revere High School buildings adjacent to the current buildings. About 80 people have stepped up to take part in two “visioning committees,” one for each school, which were to meet for the third time this week to determine what will go into the buildings.
Montgomery said ideas about the new buildings have changed since the district passed a bond issue in November.
At the high school, located at the intersection of Everett and Revere roads, a plan is now being considered to retain the 1995 wing of the current school. The new construction portion of the building would be attached to that along Everett Road, and the Revere Road side of the school would be demolished and used as the new parking lot.
At Bath Elementary, located at the intersection of West Bath and North Cleveland-Massillon roads, the district is considering placing the new building west of the current building. At that site, a large piece of property, the district wants to keep the school in an area that can be more easily developed to save money on the cost of moving and grading dirt, Montgomery said.
Because the schools will be in service for several generations, Montgomery said the district is trying to look ahead in an attempt to make the buildings as flexible as possible. But there is no crystal ball to provide answers, he said.
“We just know the world is changing,” he said.
He added he’s been talking with local business leaders and one thing he keeps hearing about is the importance of collaboration in the workforce and the need for it to be part of the classroom. But Montgomery said he wants to be careful to not cater to a fad when considering how to approach the new buildings.
Regarding the timeline for the projects, Montgomery said he expects the district to go out to bid in January, with construction to begin soon afterward. The estimated time for construction is 18 months, and the schools could be ready for the 2019-20 school year, he said.
In addition to the building projects, the superintendent talked about the district’s multi-year study on homework, a topic on which he’s heard “widely different opinions.”
“We at the central office level were hearing varying levels of what homework should be,” he said.
Teachers across grade levels are now working together on the study, which includes surveying staff and analyzing use of homework, as well as looking at research on the topic.
Montgomery, who is completing his second year as superintendent, also said the district continues to make communication a priority.
“We need you to be at the table with us,” he said. “You are our collaborators and you are who we serve.”
While the district has beefed up its use of its website, social media and other tools to keep parents and the community informed, he said he’s also happy to see Revere teachers taking part in conferences and outreach with other districts. Two groups of school staff have talked with other districts about suicide prevention and good sportsmanship, he said.
Regarding the district’s first year of its 1:1 Technology Initiative, Montgomery said it’s going well. Students in seventh through 12th grades were issued Apple MacBook Air laptops, and younger students were provided with Chromebooks or iPads to work on at school. He added that now his staff is looking at how to make student data more secure.
Montgomery’s remarks were preceded by a performance by the Revere High School band. He was introduced by Revere senior Anthony Pignataro and Revere Board of Education President Claudia Hower, who noted the board recently renewed his contract through the 2021-22 school year.
“It’s an honor to serve the district,” Montgomery said. “I’m proud of the work we are doing. I’m excited about the work we are doing. I count my blessings every day that I am able to be part of this district.”