BEVERLY — An ad hoc committee studying the reconfiguration of the school district decided to support the superintendent's plan.
The nine-member panel unanimously voted to recommend that the School Committee approve the proposal to consolidate the elementary schools by turning Cove into an early childhood education center and McKeown into an alternative secondary school.
Calling it "educationally sound and the most economically feasible option," the committee said the plan is the best way to reorganize the school district to close a $2.6 million gap between spending and revenue in next year's budget.
"If you're really looking at this objectively with an open mind, this committee did the work they were asked to do," said Ward 4 School Committee member Jim Latter, chairman of the ad hoc committee.
The School Committee is poised to vote on the reconfiguration plan Wednesday, after hearing what the ad hoc group has to say during the joint City Council and School Committee meeting tonight.
The panel was charged with going through all the data and determining if Superintendent James Hayes' proposal was ideal, or if an alternative would be better.
Latter said they looked at other options like closing Hannah instead of Cove to make way for an early education center there, or just closing McKeown, turning it into an alternative school and keeping the other five elementary schools open.
"If there was a viable way to disrupt only one school community instead of two, I think that would be worthwhile," Latter said.
Yet after tossing around ideas and crunching numbers for different scenarios during four meetings last week, the group determined the $1 million savings from creating an early education center was essential to the reconfiguration, and couldn't justify putting it at Hannah instead of Cove because it would mean spending more money on construction, Latter said.
The School Committee has been waiting for the ad hoc group's recommendation before making a final decision about the reconfiguration. Members will take a separate vote later in the month to approve next year's budget, but want to let the public know before then what the school system would look like next year if the reconfiguration goes through.
Residents will also vote on a Proposition 21/2 override at a June 3 election. If passed, it would keep the district the same for next year, and administrators would continue to work on a consolidation plan.
Alternatives explored
r Proposed plan using McKeown as an alternative secondary program and Cove as an early childhood center.
r Using McKeown as an alternative secondary program and maintaining the other five schools as prekindergarten through fifth grade.
r Using Cove as an early childhood center and maintaining the other five schools for grades one through five.
r Keeping all six schools and making $2.6 million in program cuts.
r Possible combinations of the above options.
Upcoming meetings
r Joint School Committee and City Council
When: Today at 7 p.m.
Where: North Beverly Elementary School
r School Committee meeting of the whole
When: Tomorrow at 7:30 p.m.
Where: Memorial Building
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