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Superintendent: high school redesign showing gains; new high school construction remains on budget
Summary
Superintendent and high-school leaders reported measurable student-growth gains, expanded advanced-course participation and several program launches. The district said the new high school construction budget is on target, with bids set to be released next month and demolition expected in late April or early May.
Revere Public Schools officials reported measurable gains in student growth metrics and outlined next steps for a multimillion-dollar high school replacement project at the school committee meeting.
High-school design and programs: Mr. Bowen, principal at Revere High School, presented semester-one data and program updates that district leaders said show progress as they redesign the high school. He said honors and other advanced-course options are being offered in new formats and that nearly 600 Advanced Placement tests were taken last year, with about 58% of those scoring 3 or higher. "We had close to 600 tests taken last year. Almost 60 percent of students that took tests earned passing rates of either 3, 4, or 5," Bowen said.
District officials highlighted state-provided student-growth measures: Bowen reported student-growth percentiles on MCAS at 54% for English language arts and 51% for math in the most recent reporting period, improvements officials said represent recovery and steady progress since the pandemic. He also said the district focused supports on its "lowest performing student subgroup," where chronic absenteeism fell from roughly 55% in 2022-23 to around 33% last year for that cohort.
Program expansion and early college: Administrators described programmatic expansions intended to increase alternatives to a standard schedule, including a career-development program and internships. The district said 120 students are currently enrolled in early-college programs; those students have earned 645 college credits since spring of last year, which district staff calculated as collectively saving approximately $516,000 if credits were later applied at UMass Boston.
Gateway and career work: Bowen reported 10 students in the Gateway to College program at North Shore Community College and a cohort in a career-development/work-study program. The district also announced a career and trade fair scheduled for March 18 to connect students with local employers and unions.
Building update: The superintendent reported that the overall project remains budgeted at about $493,000,000 excluding $4,000,000 already spent on feasibility work. Officials said the construction-only budget is estimated at approximately $411'$412 million, in line with prior estimates. Bidding for subcontractors is scheduled for March, with site demolition anticipated in late April or early May.
Ending: District leaders said redesign work will continue this spring with multiple design teams, an accreditation visit in early April and follow-up planning to align new school programs with the district's strategic plan.
