Superintendent updates committee on school building projects

  Superintendent of Schools Dr. Dianne Kelly updated the School Committee on a number of building projects at Tuesday’s committee meeting.

  The boiler replacement project at the Beachmont Elementary School is expected to be substantially complete by Sept. 15 with final completion by Oct. 15, according to Kelly. “There is one piece of the job they are going to be doing – replacing air handlers in the gym at the Beachmont – and because of supply chain issues, that’s not going to happen until November,” Kelly said. “But they will still be able to commission the boilers and have everything up and running and tested in time for the winter season.”

  The School Department is also moving forward with the new door and window project at the Lincoln Elementary School. “That is good timing, since our air conditioning project finished last spring,” said Kelly. “With the air-conditioning project completed, the windows and doors are set to go out to bid at the end of September with the anticipation that we will start that project as soon as school gets out in June of 2023.”

  On the new Revere High School front, Kelly said there is another Revere High School Building Committee meeting scheduled for Tuesday, and she encouraged the public to take part in the meetings if possible. “We are still plugging away at our design plans and working with the city on the eminent domain process [at the former Wonderland Park site] and hope to have some progress there soon,” said Kelly.

  In other business, the School Committee approved the school handbook for 2022-23.

  Kelly also provided the committee with information on exit interviews for school staff who left the school district before the start of the new year. Of the 77 staff members not returning, she said 52 resigned, 15 requested a leave of absence and 10 were nonrenewals.

  Overall, 20 percent of those leaving said they were dissatisfied with leadership or management, 18 percent said they were relocating, 16 percent stated it was because of the commute, 15 percent left for career advancement and 11 percent stated they wanted better salary and benefits.