Beverly mayor crosses up school panel with eleventh-hour plan

BEVERLY — After two hours of public comment, and two months to look at the superintendent's proposal to reorganize Beverly public schools, Mayor Bill Scanlon hinted at a plan of his own.

"I intend to put forward a proposal, which, if approved, will still be painful, but less painful than the proposal on the table," he said to the School Committee and about 75 people in the auditorium during last night's public hearing.

The mayor's eleventh-hour option, and his lack of detail, rankled at least one school official.

"If you have something, I feel you should share it now," said School Committee President Annemarie Cesa.

Scanlon said his alternative is not fully developed, yet, but he'll unveil it tomorrow.

"And you expect us to vote?" Cesa said.

The School Committee is scheduled to make a decision tomorrow on Superintendent James Hayes' proposal to consolidate the elementary schools by laying off 61 teachers and staff, turning Cove into an early childhood education center, and turning McKeown into a secondary alternative school to close a $2.67 million gap between spending and revenue in next year's budget.

Increased class sizes and the loss of two neighborhood schools generated an outcry of public criticism that continued into last night as parents, teachers and community members approached the podium and called the plan "devastating," "irreversible" and "disastrous for everybody in our city."

"Accepting the best of a series of bad options would be a failure for our schools," said Julia Brown, a member of the Hannah PTO.

Since Hayes presented his proposal in March, the city has been scrambling to come up with other options. At Scanlon's suggestion, the School Committee at the end of April formed an ad hoc committee to review the proposal. After a short but intensive study, committee members came out in support of Hayes' plan.

For Scanlon to bring an alternative to the table so late in the game is frustrating, Cesa said.

"We've been talking about this now for two months," she said. "When we met at 6 o'clock today (an hour before Monday's public hearing), the mayor didn't give us any hint there was something else. He's certainly been given the opportunity before tonight."

Despite the curveball, Cesa said "in all likelihood" the School Committee will still vote tomorrow.

"The parents, staff and, most importantly, the children need to know where they're going to school," she said.

The School Committee's decision will determine what the district will look like in September if a $2.5 million Proposition 21/2 override fails during a historic June 3 election. Beverly has never held an override election in the 28 years since Proposition 21/2 became a state law.

If it passes, the school system would stay the same next year, and administrators would have more time to develop a consolidation plan. Property taxes would also increase by about $185 a year for a home assessed at $450,000. It's not a one-time deal; once the tax rate goes up, it stays that way for years to come.

For the first time publicly, School Committee members Cesa, Maria Decker, Paul Manzo and Karen Fogarty voiced their support for the override, which was initially proposed by a citizens' group called Yes for Beverly.

Hayes said he, too, supports it: "For one reason — class size."

Many at the public hearing also advocated "a yes vote," with 14 people speaking in favor of it and three people speaking against it.

"We need time to do this right," Andi Freedman said. "Only an override could immediately solve this crisis."

Override: For or against?

Where the School Committee members stand on the Proposition 21/2 override:

David Manzi, Ward 1: No

Paul Manzo, Ward 2: Yes

Jim Latter, Ward 3: No public position

Karen Fogarty, Ward 4: Yes

Annemarie Cesa, Ward 5: Yes

Maria Decker, Ward 6: Yes

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