THE REVERE ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, MARCH 24, 2023 Page 5 ~LETTER TO THE EDITOR~ The following is an official statement from the Revere High School Student Senate regarding the new Revere High School Construction Project: A s elected representatives of the Revere High School student body, we fi nd the construction of a new high school building to be an issue of utmost importance for future students and residents of Revere. We believe the Revere City Council’s lack of agency has caused considerable setbacks to the process, endangering the project as a whole. We believe arguments against the Wonderland Site Project based on fi scal responsibility have been grossly shortsighted and misinformed despite the clear evidence provided by Revere CFO Richard Viscay. Years of research clearly outline Wonderland as the best and only option for a safe, effi cient, state-of-the-art high school built for the purposes of the 21st century and beyond. This project would also introduce another public building that can be used for a variety of purposes. By creating this new environment, we open up endless possibilities for community engagement in the city, especially near the beach. The Eminent Domain risk cited as an argument against Wonderland is a risk that was already taken when the city purchased the site for the SOLE purpose of building the new high school there. Moving to the existing RHS site will only lead to more risk. The current lawsuit will not just disappear and the city will have to conduct more eminent domain takings, this time displacing Revere residents, making the city even more vulnerable to negative legal action. This, coupled with the fact that the existing RHS Site includes complicated construction, lack of state-of-the-art transformations, and a high cost, it is inaccurate to call the existing site more fiscally responsible than Wonderland. Non-monetary costs are also associated with the existing RHS Site. The educational cost of subjecting students to upwards of 5 years of endless distractions is profound: whether through nearby construction, or the restrictions on extracurricular activities by losing access to sports fi elds. It is fi scally irresponsible to restart this arduous process that has been years in the making, costing taxpayers at least another $2.3 million with no guarantee to receive funding from The Massachusetts School Building Authority to build at the existing site. Regarding any confusion concerning the high school accreditation process, simply put, the only way we can retain accreditation is if we continue moving forward in the school-building process. The Revere City Council’s indecisiveness has done nothing but move this process backward, further endangering our accreditation. The Wonderland Site has already been established as the safest, most effi cient, and only feasible solution. As elected offi cials, it is the duty of City Council Members to not only focus on fi scal responsibility, but also the responsibility of providing safe, comfortable, and accessible education for all. On behalf of the RHS students, now and in the future, we urge the Revere City Council to fulfi ll its promise of Gerry D’Ambrosio Attorney-at-Law Is Your Estate in Order? Do you have an update Will, Health Care Proxy or Power of Attorney? If Not, Please Call for a Free Consultation. 14 Proctor Avenue, Revere (781) 284-5657 supporting the project’s continuation at Wonderland. If any City Council members continue to have doubts, the RHS Student Senate graciously welcomes all members to take a tour of the current high school to see fi rsthand the urgency of moving this high school project forward. Sincerely, RHS Student Senate
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