Mayor Arrigo, Superintendent Kelly, Chief Callahan, and Chief Buck Issue Statement to Revere Public Schools Community
December 9, 2022
December 9, 2022
Dear RPS Community,
We are sure you have heard that a powdery substance, which we suspect but have not yet confirmed, contained Fentanyl was found at Revere High School. Fentanyl is a very potent and powerful synthetic opioid, most commonly found mixed in other recreational drugs. Fentanyl is predominantly found in heroin, cocaine, and many other counterfeit pills or tablets that users believe to be OxyContin, Xanax, Klonopin among others. In the City of Revere and most communities throughout the region, Fentanyl is prevalent in almost all of the illicit narcotics recovered or seized by the police.
We want to thank Principal Bowen and his team for their ongoing investigation into this matter. We also want to thank the Revere Police Department and the Revere Department of Substance Used Disorder and Homeless Initiatives (SUDHI) for their support as we do all we can to ensure student and staff safety.
All members of the Revere Community are invited to join us for a webinar at 6:00pm on Monday 12/19/22. At that time, representatives from the SUDHI Office, the Police Department, and State officials will provide information about opioids and Fentanyl as well as answer questions from participants. Please watch for a flier about this event to come out early next week. Here is the webinar link: https://tinyurl.com/m3edh36f
The School Department is also working with the SUDHI office and their partners at the state to develop a student education program that will be delivered to middle and high school students after the vacation week. In the meantime, here is a link to opioid and Fentanyl information from the CDC that we hope may assist parents in talking to their children: https://www.cdc.gov/opioids/basics/index.html
We also want everyone to know that the Revere Police will be conducting protective sweeps of the high school using trained K9 units multiple times in the coming weeks. These events will NOT be announced in advance but may involve a “hold in place” which requires all students and staff to remain where they are while the dogs travel the hallways. Please be aware that this could happen at any time over the next couple of months. Our goal is to ensure there are not drugs present and that our school community is safe for all. If any individual is found to need assistance in this regard, we will connect them to assistance. Despite recent changes to laws around student discipline and the legalization of marijuana, ALL drugs are still illegal in school and on school grounds. Students bringing drugs to school will face expulsion. Adults will face termination. If you have any questions or concerns, please reach out to me at 781-286-8226 or dkelly@reverek12.org.
Finally, we want to acknowledge that too many of us have felt the impact of the opioid crisis. We must all work together to eliminate this horrible problem. If you or your child need assistance or know of someone who needs assistance, please reach out to the Revere SUDHI Office at 781-629-4158. If you or your child know of someone bringing drugs to school, please email your child’s principal.
We hope to see you on the webinar on Monday 12/19/22.
Be well,
