Revere Local discusses flexible senior scheduling to keep students on campus

At a Dec. 2 Revere Local Board of Education work session, district staff presented plans to revise the district’s "senior option" so more graduating students remain on campus for classes rather than leaving for college‑credit or career programs.

Presenter Doug Perez told the board that seniors now have more pathways — College Credit Plus (CCP), the MCA career academy and expanded Advanced Placement offerings — and that those options have contributed to more seniors leaving campus during the school day. "I don't like the phrase open campus," Perez said, arguing the district should frame changes as an academically driven, credit‑based option rather than an unrestricted pass to leave school.

Perez provided trend data showing CCP activity growth — 518 course enrollments in 2022‑23 and an anticipated more than 750 CCP enrollments for the current year — and said the district is considering moving from the current blanket senior exception toward a minimum credit requirement (for example, a 2.5 credit floor) tied to counselor and parent approval. The stated goal is to create a master schedule that places appealing classes (late‑day electives, AP seminar/research, strength and conditioning options) at times that would invite seniors back to campus.

Board members pressed on safety and attendance tracking. A member asked whether the district would be able to know who is on campus in the event of an emergency; Perez said the district plans to pilot use of the visitor management system integrated with ProgressBook attendance so student sign‑ins or lunch codes will populate attendance records and allow staff to flag absences that require follow‑up. "We have now the opportunity to use the visitor management system, to track student attendance too," Perez said.

When asked about limits — for example, whether students could leave repeatedly for lunch or errands — Perez and other board members emphasized that any expanded flexibility would be academically driven, not a free lunch‑all‑day policy, and could include restrictions similar to those used by neighboring districts (Hudson, Highland). The board discussed progressive discipline and revocation steps if students misuse privileges, with Perez suggesting a disciplinary progression that involves parents early and focuses on behavior change.

Perez said staff will pilot attendance tracking for selected CCP students beginning second semester to work out operational issues before broader scheduling changes for the 2026 scheduling cycle. He also committed to drafting proposed handbook language and providing it to district leadership and the board for review (board members requested delivery to the superintendent by January so the handbook could be considered before the typical March approval window).

No formal policy vote or handbook change occurred during the meeting; the discussion was informational and staff‑driven next steps were requested. The board proceeded to routine agenda items, personnel recommendations and service agreements before adjourning.

The board asked that counselors ultimately be involved in community presentations about the scheduling roadmap; Perez said School Links, the district’s multi‑year planning tool, helps students and families map coursework across high school and will be part of counseling conversations as the district develops any new policy.