The Revere Public Schools Ways and Means subcommittee discussed on the district’s rising transportation costs and whether replacing the middle‑school lottery with neighborhood assignments could reduce the bill the city pays for student busing.

The discussion focused on two levers staff and committee members said would alter busing costs: eliminating the middle‑school lottery so students attend neighborhood schools, and changing the district’s busing distance (the current 1‑mile middle‑school limit versus a 2‑mile threshold used for high school). Subcommittee Chair John Kingston said he would “like to see the lottery go away” to reduce transportation expenses and the number of parent trips across town.

Staff told the committee that 527 fifth graders were included in this year’s middle‑school lottery. Of those, 141 listed Garfield Middle School as their first choice, 218 listed Rodney Marsh (as transcribed), and 168 listed Susan B. Anthony, illustrating an uneven distribution of demand across schools. Staff also said a modeled “no lottery, 2‑mile radius” scenario would require six buses for current middle‑school routes; staff cautioned that bus counts can change year to year depending on household choices and cohort size.

Officials emphasized the distinction between school‑committee policy and the city’s fiscal responsibility for transportation. A staff member summarized the relationship: “the city basically says, hey, we know it’s our responsibility to get the kids to school. How much is it gonna cost you to do that this year?” Committee members were repeatedly told that while the school committee sets enrollment and assignment policy, the city is the entity that ultimately pays the transportation bills and must be involved in budget discussions.

Staff said special‑education and out‑of‑district placement transportation account for a large share of costs and are less susceptible to savings from assignment changes. They advised that most immediate savings would come from increasing the minimum busing distance (from 1 mile to 2 miles), while elimination of the lottery could trigger additional savings over multiple years as cohorts cycle through middle school.

Committee members and staff proposed further study before any policy change. Suggestions included modeling a phased transition (for example, stopping the lottery for incoming sixth graders and phasing in changes over three years), drawing residential boundary lines to test how neighborhood assignments would redistribute enrollment, and convening a subcommittee or working group to refine options. Chair Kingston asked staff to provide a comparison of estimated savings in years one, two and three for a “no lottery, 1‑mile” scenario as well as the alternatives discussed.

The committee did not take formal action during the meeting. Staff said they would continue to share data with the committee and the city as the municipal budget process unfolds so the transportation impact can be included in schedule and budget planning.