Here's What Beverly Will Get In Latest State Budget

BEVERLY, MA — The state budget passed by the legislature Monday includes $6.75 million in unrestricted funding for Beverly, as well as $16.16 million in Chapter 70 funding for Beverly Public Schools.

The local funding is up 5.4 percent from $6.42 million last year. School funding under the spending plan rose 24.24 percent from the $10.59 million, Beverly received in the fiscal year ended June 30.

Overall, local funding in the $52.7 billion package rose 5.4 percent to $2.07 billion from $1.96 billion last year. Chapter 70 school funding increased $495 million, or 9 percent, to nearly $600 million. The budget also includes $110 million to continue free, universal school meals for all school children in Massachusetts.

The budget also includes funding for several local projects:

• $200,00 for pickleball courts
• $25,000 for the North Shore Maritime Center for the youth rowing program
• $150,000 for Beverly to test, monitor and analyze environmental cleanup efforts for the Varian site at 150 Sohier Road
• $100,000 for greenhouse gas reduction projects
• $200,000 for library upgrades.

The budget was hammered out in a conference committee and unanimously passed both chambers. Massachusetts Gov. Charlie Baker has 10 days to sign the budget.