Beverly committees approve STEM grants, student accounts and budget transfers; allow limited rodenticide use; memorial policy tabled

The Beverly Public Schools Finance & Facilities subcommittee and the full School Committee on Oct. 22 approved a series of routine financial items, including acceptance of $26,500 in STEM grants, creation and transfer of student activity accounts, and two budget transfers tied to employee salary adjustments. The committees also voted to permit limited redeployment of rodenticide if rodent activity increases; a proposed policy limiting permanent indoor memorials was tabled for further work.

Why it matters: The actions move money and administrative authority already included in the district’s packet and bookkeeping; they affect how classroom and extracurricular funds are managed, how salary retro-pay is processed, and how buildings-and-grounds staff may respond if pest activity rises with colder weather.

Most significant votes and details - Grants: The committees accepted $26,500 in grants to the district: $25,500 from the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center for STEM equipment and $1,000 from the Northeast Network of STEM to support a STEM week at Beverly High School. Director of Finance Emma Pugliese said the equipment award likely supports robotics-related purchases and that…