Disney World is in Revere’s future

by Sheldon Ocker

Feb. 18 board of education meeting

The Revere Board of Education approved a trip to Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida, for band and orchestra members who will march in a parade as well as tour the giant amusement park.

Dates of the visit are Jan. 15-18, 2026, and the cost per student is estimated at $1,500-$1,800. The Revere Music Parents Association will sponsor one or more fundraisers to help defray the cost of the trip for parents and the participants.

The band and orchestra are scheduled to perform in the Magic Kingdom Disney Parade and attend a Disney production studio clinic.

The traveling party will include three Revere staff members and 12-20 chaperones, depending on the number of students who go on the trip. Staff members expected to lead the group are Tom Chiera and Montana Fassnacht (band) and Josh Bowman (orchestra).

Participants in the trip will miss only one day of school and travel by air to Orlando.

Handbooks unveiled

Each building’s student handbook for the 2025-26 school year was unveiled. The high school handbook contains a lengthy section on sexual harassment that includes definitions, reporting requirements, various elements and boundaries of investigations, the district’s duty to respond, plus remedies and appeals.

In another addition to the high school handbook, parents and guardians will be able to report absences, tardiness or early dismissal requests using a 24-hour attendance line.

College partners

The board approved memorandums of understanding with the University of Akron, Kent State University, Stark State College and Cuyahoga Community College, all of which have agreed to be partners in the College Credit Plus program that allows Revere students to take college-level courses for college and high school credit.

Some courses are offered online, others are taught at college venues by college instructors or at the high school by college instructors or approved high school teachers.

Supporting Holocaust curriculum

Revere parent Lauren Scherr praised the district – specifically the middle school administration and Revere Curriculum Coordinator Marcia Roach – for the introduction of a new Holocaust curriculum and including a visit to the U.S. Holocaust Museum on the next eighth-grade trip to Washington, D.C.

“At a time when anti-Semitism is on the rise, providing students with the opportunity to engage in this history firsthand is more important than ever,” Scherr said. “Visiting the Holocaust Museum will help them connect with the real stories of those who suffered, deepening their understanding of the dangers of hatred and the importance of standing up against injustice.”

In other business

• The board accepted a donation to Richfield Elementary of a shelving unit for “lost and found” valued at $120 from an anonymous donor.

The board approved selling more than 1,500 old laptops and other outdated computer equipment.