Beverly School Committee Accepts Ward 2 Resignation, Sets December Joint Council Vote

BEVERLY -- November 24, 2020, Beverly School Committee votes 6-0 to accept Ward 2 resignation and schedules December 17 joint council meeting to fill the seat. The committee first suspended its own resignation policy BBBC by the required two-thirds majority before accepting the letter from outgoing Ward 2 member Miss Ferretti; Mayor Michael Cahill raised concerns about the North Adams-derived nomination process, under which a candidate who fails a majority vote is deemed permanently ineligible. Residents interested in the seat must submit a cover letter and resume to citizenconcerns@beverlyschools.org by December 14. The committee also heard the debut presentation of a district-wide equity audit led by Superintendent Dr. Susan Chirocek and Director of Opportunity, Access and Equity Dr. Andre Morgan, with findings on 10 focus areas due in January and February. Finance Director Gene Sherburne reported 348 unemployment fraud claims totaling $166,000 in invoices since March, with at least 59 claims worth roughly $94,000 confirmed fraudulent; she said no City Council appropriation is anticipated to cover pandemic-related revolving-account shortfalls. Commissioner of Public Services Mike Collins told the Finance and Facilities Subcommittee that Beverly schools have recorded zero in-school COVID-19 transmission events.