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Superintendent unveils new school zones

By Cate Lecuyer
Staff writer
Published: June 11, 2008

BEVERLY — Kids at McKeown School would be divided between Ayers and North Beverly, and about 200 other children would change schools in a proposed citywide redistricting of elementary students.

Superintendent James Hayes presented the proposal to the School Committee last night. He said the plan seeks to distribute students in a way that preserves neighborhoods, keeps class sizes below the guidelines, lets preschool and kindergarten kids stay where they are, and balances the number of students enrolled in the free and reduced-price lunch program throughout the district.

"The School Committee has voted the five-school model, and I will do all that I can to make it the best it can be for the good of all our students," Hayes said. "And I believe I have done that with the recommendation this evening."

According to the proposed redistricting, 117 McKeown students would be moved to Ayers Ryal Side, 92 would be moved to North Beverly, and two would be moved to Centerville.

Class sizes would range from 19 to 29 students, and free and reduced-price lunch clientele would range from 20 percent to 27 percent. Hayes plans to post his proposed new elementary school zones on the district's Web site, BeverlySchools.org.

The School Committee is scheduled to vote on the plan tomorrow night.

Previously, members rejected Hayes' proposal to close both McKeown and Cove and turn them into a secondary alternative school and early childhood education center, respectively. Instead, they approved Mayor Bill Scanlon's proposal to close McKeown and keep Cove open, using $680,000 from the city's general fund.

The elementary school reconfiguration aims to close a $2.67 million gap between spending and expected revenue in next year's budget. Other cuts in staffing and services are also part of the deficit-reduction plan.

"I want to go on the record, however, of expressing my concern for the direction we are taking," Hayes said last night. "I believe that in one or two years, we will again be faced with a major shortfall, and an early childhood center concept will be the only reasonable solution.

"Obviously I preferred taking the two steps at once this year. Our revenue will not keep pace with our expenditures."

While Scanlon has maintained that the five-school model is sustainable for the next five years, School Committee members shared Hayes' concern that students who are moved in September would have to transition again.

"I don't know if we can sit here in good conscience and say we're not going to move again," said Ward 3 member Jim Latter, who voted to approve closing only Cove.

"I regret supporting the five-school plan and intend to ask the committee to reconsider this on Thursday," he said.

Aside from strong concerns about the financial stability of the plan, Ward 4 member Karen Fogarty said she supported it.

"Class sizes are great," she said. "This is something we could live with. I feel confident from an educational standpoint."

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