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Votes at a glance: Beverly School Committee Finance & Facilities actions, Jan. 21, 2025
Summary
Roll-call votes at the Jan. 21 Finance & Facilities meeting included approval of minutes, gifts, a major budget transfer moving negotiated reserves into operating lines, a multilingual newcomer grant, a new student activity account, summer pay-rate changes and five policies sent to the full committee for review.
The Beverly School Committee’s Finance & Facilities subcommittee took several routine and budget-related votes on Jan. 21. The items below summarize motions, movers/seconds if recorded, and roll-call outcomes.
Minutes Dr. Jeffrey Silva moved to approve the Dec. 11 meeting minutes; Paul Manzo seconded. Roll-call result: Dr. Silva — yes; Paul Manzo — yes; Chair — yes; Kim Coelho — abstain. Outcome: approved, 3–0–1. Coelho abstained because she was absent from the Dec. 11 meeting.
Gifts to schools The committee accepted gifts totaling $1,665.69, primarily to Hannah Elementary and district-wide. Roll-call: passed 4–0.
Budget transfer (reserve for negotiations) The committee voted to approve budget transfer number 721, which reallocates funds from the district’s reserve for negotiations into specific salary and benefits lines after several employee units settled contracts. Motion and second were recorded; the committee approved the transfer by roll call, 4–0. Administration said the transfer distributed a $4,950,954 reserve across affected lines (salaries, tuition reimbursement, longevity, payroll taxes) now that contracts are settled.
Grant: Multilingual newcomer and homeless support The committee accepted a state supplemental grant of $12,500 to support multilingual newcomer and homeless student services. Roll-call: passed 4–0. Administration said the award is supplemental funding that will be used to support inclusive programming and basic needs assistance for newcomers.
Student activity account: Interact Club (Rotary youth) The committee approved adding a student activity account to support an Interact Club at Beverly High School. Roll-call: passed 3–0–1 (one abstention by a committee member who is a Rotary member). The account request and purpose were presented in the meeting packet.
Summer teacher/summer pay rates Finance & Facilities approved proposed summer pay rates for district summer programs: a proposed teacher rate of $50 per hour and paraprofessionals at $30 per hour; the change was presented as needed to attract summer staff and align with curriculum rates. Roll-call: passed 4–0. Administration will include the change in summer program budgets for FY26 planning.
Policy review Five district policies scheduled for routine five-year review were approved to move forward to the full School Committee for first reading as presented. Roll-call: passed 4–0.
Adjournment The committee voted to adjourn; roll-call: passed 4–0.
Notes on procedure and follow up Several votes were roll-call approvals with named yes/abstain responses recorded in the transcript. The major budget transfer will affect multiple salary and grant lines; administration noted one budget line (CTE partner payments) showed a temporary deficit pending grant reimbursement. The pest-control item discussed at the meeting was not voted; administration will return with vendor safety data and a pilot plan for high-school bait boxes for the committee’s consideration.
