Beverly School Committee adopts DESE policy, hires two special-education staff
Other Committee · Meeting of September 2, 2026
Beverly School Committee adopts DESE-mandated law enforcement policy, adds two special-education hires. Meeting entirely by Zoom, the committee voted 8-0 to adopt a state-required policy on staff interactions with law enforcement, including civil immigration enforcement, after member John Taylor presented a Beverly-specific draft he said "follows exactly the DESE mandated one, but is specific to Beverly." Superintendent Dr. Cushing called a related staffing move "a very prudent move for the district." Members voted 8-0 to fund a one-to-one paraprofessional and a long-term substitute special-education teacher using more than $1.2 million in school choice revolving funds and about $300,000 in tuition revolving funds, both one-time sources Director of Finance Mullen said will need revisiting in the fiscal 2028 budget.
The committee also voted 9-0 to overhaul its 2026-27 meeting calendar, pairing subcommittee sessions with committee-of-the-whole nights starting in October.
In the full story:
- Who Was There
- Organizations And Documents Referenced
- The complete report — 1,897 words
Source: the Other Committee meeting of September 2, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.
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