By Cate Lecuyer
Staff writer
May 15, 2008 06:00 am BEVERLY — Mayor Bill Scanlon's last-minute plan to use the money the city collects in trash fees to keep Cove Elementary School open was met with skepticism from Superintendent James Hayes, the School Committee and residents last night. The mayor's presentation also had the effect of postponing the School Committee's decision on consolidating the elementary schools. Many people at last night's School Committee meeting questioned whether the mayor's plan to keep Cove open with money from trash fees and recycling savings, while still closing McKeown Elementary School, was sustainable. "This is more painful, and it's yet another Band-Aid solution," said Chris Silverstein, who has a son at McKeown. Residents and officials feared it would lead to another school being closed in the future and another transition for elementary children. "The reality of implementation is much more costly than the hypothetical view," said Hayes, who "took his best guess" that Scanlon's plan was to close only McKeown and prepared a handout that showed McKeown kids being divided up by streets and dispersed to the city's five other elementary schools, where class sizes would range from 18 to 31 students. "You can analyze it all you want, but for me this is the wrong road to head down," Hayes said. The mayor's proposal, which he kept secret until last night's meeting, is his alternative to Hayes' plan to close both McKeown and Cove, turning them into an alternative school and early childhood education center, respectively. The changes are part of an effort to close a $2.67 million school funding deficit. Other tactics to close the deficit include laying off 61 teachers and staff and a variety of other cuts. Closing McKeown would save the district $1.16 million; shuttering Cove would save $673,000. The mayor estimated that his plan would bring in about $680,000. "A five (elementary) school system is sustainable," Scanlon said. School Committee members, who were prepared to vote on Hayes' proposal last night, scheduled another meeting for Monday night to have time to review the mayor's proposal. "I feel like we have another potentially (sound) plan, and I feel it's something we should investigate further," Ward 6 representative Maria Decker said. With so many options on the table, many residents also spoke in favor of an override. "What Beverly needs, more than anything right now, is more time," parent Ed Rozmiarek said. If the city votes in favor of a Proposition 21/2 override in a June 3 election, it would keep the school system the same next year, and give administrators more time to develop a consolidation plan. Property taxes would also increase by about $185 a year for 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. Many people in the audience criticized the mayor for not sharing his plan sooner, calling it an "insult" to the School Committee, Hayes and the community. Beverly has been hashing over school consolidation for nearly two months, while struggling to find alternatives. "I was almost speechless to hear of this last-minute plan," said Kathy Whitehair of the Briscoe Middle School PTO. "How very 'Mission Impossible' our city has become."
Scanlon's plan r Close McKeown and turn it into a secondary alternative school. r Keep Cove open. r Use money from trash fees and increased recycling savings to make up the cost of keeping Cove open, and help close a $2.67 million shortfall in next year's budget. Hayes' plan r Close McKeown and turn it into a secondary alternative school. r Close Cove and turn it into an early childhood education center. r Use the savings from closing both schools to help close a $2.67 million shortfall in next year's budget.
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