Beverly school committee approves amended 'critical needs' budget after hours of debate, 5–4

The Beverly School Committee approved an amended version of the superintendent’s "critical needs" budget on May 20, voting 5–4 after several motions and amendments. The final committee calculation put the requested year-over-year increase at about $6,705,231; the appropriation will be presented to the City Council for consideration alongside city revenue proposals.

The debate centered on competing priorities: several committee members pressed that cutting student-facing positions would harm special education delivery, class sizes and student safety, while others warned the city’s fiscal limits and deferred revenue choices constrained what the committee could responsibly request. "I have a really difficult time supporting any budget that's eliminating student-facing staff," Member Cahill said, urging that the committee represent families and vulnerable students.

Superintendent Dr. Cushing presented three budget scenarios — level services, a balanced/baseline proposal that added roughly $4.5 million, and a higher-cost "critical needs" plan — and defended the staffing choices as responses to enrollment needs, special education supports and other gaps. He said the critical-needs package was designed from principals’ and directors’ top priorities: additional special-education teachers, power professionals for intervention (AIM) and selected middle-school positions. "This budget is a direct response to everything that I've heard this year," Dr. Cushing said.

Members proposed and voted on several amendments designed to reduce the appropriation by counting proposed fee revenue (athletics, preschool tuition, transportation) and to restore specific classroom positions that had been targeted for enrollment reductions. A package of amendments ultimately added back several classroom positions while subtracting the committee’s expected fee revenue; that amended total was approved 5–4. The roll-call vote recorded yes from Ms. Frost, Ms. Cahill, Ms. Lennox, Ms. Robinson and President Visnick; no votes came from Mayor Cahill, Ms. Ducharme, Mr. Taylor and Ms. Coello.

The approved figure will be forwarded to the City Council during the municipal budget process. Mayor Cahill told the committee he was working to preserve as much new school investment as possible but warned that city revenue decisions (including a proposed trash fee) would affect the final amounts the council could approve. The committee adjourned after the vote.

Next steps: the superintendent and business office will prepare the requested appropriation materials for the City Council; any changes by the council or city revenue actions will affect the ultimate funding available to the schools.