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Committee reviews enrollment snapshot, discusses shifting students to Beechmont to reduce class sizes
Summary
Superintendent Rita Kelly presented a bimonthly enrollment snapshot showing steady district enrollment and 2,043 high school students; committee members discussed low enrollment at Beechmont School, options to invite or redirect students there and the potential need to study attendance boundary changes.
The Revere School Committee received a bimonthly enrollment update at the June 17 Committee of the Whole meeting and discussed low enrollment at Beechmont School and possible options to increase its student population.
Dr. Rita Kelly, superintendent, told the committee the update is a snapshot and that a fuller picture will be available on Aug. 1 when families finalize plans for the coming school year. “Things are pretty much stable and steady, as they have been. The high school enrollment, which we're always looking at, to date is 2,043,” Dr. Kelly said.
Committee member Alicia Milbury Ellis raised concerns about Beechmont’s smaller enrollments and asked whether the district could steer new students to the school or set a cutoff to send additional PRE students to Beechmont. Ellis noted that some Beechmont classes had enrollment in the low teens and suggested families might be interested if given more information or transportation options.
Dr. Kelly and other committee members described options discussed previously: targeted outreach to families, the district continuing to invite all Revere parents annually to consider Beechmont, continuing existing bus routes if sufficient families consent (one suggestion was that if 15–25 families agree the bus could continue), and possible boundary adjustments. Dr. Kelly said a consultant could be hired to evaluate neighborhood lines and lottery assignments for middle schools and that the committee could ask that consultant to examine options for Beechmont.
Operational details: staff suggested the more accurate enrollment count will be available Aug. 1; ParentSquare and other district communications could be used to solicit family interest; committee members noted Suffolk Downs housing is expected to deliver mostly studio and one‑bed units in initial phases, so the committee does not expect a large influx of family‑sized units in the near term.
Next steps: committee members asked district staff to reissue outreach to families before the end of the school year and to bring updated enrollment figures in August to inform any decisions about boundary changes or targeted transportation.
Why it matters: enrollment shapes class sizes, staffing assignments and budget decisions for the district; small class sizes at Beechmont were described as a potential asset but also a sustainability concern.
