City Government
Beverly School Committee & Superintendent
The Superintendent
Dr. Peter J. Cushing, Ed.D.
About 4,500 Beverly students start their day in this district, and one person answers for all of it. Dr. Peter J. Cushing is Superintendent of the Beverly Public Schools, chosen by the School Committee. He runs a system of eight schools, proposes the school budget, sets academic priorities, and answers to the elected School Committee. The Superintendent is hired by and reports to that committee.
| Role | Superintendent of Schools |
|---|---|
| District office | 70 Balch Street, Beverly, MA 01915 |
| Phone | 978-921-6100 |
| Website | beverlyschools.org |
The School Committee
Beverly’s School Committee has nine seats. Six members are elected by ward, one from each of the city’s six wards, and two more are elected from larger districts that each cover roughly half the city. The Mayor holds the ninth seat as a member, but the committee elects its own president to run its meetings. The committee sets district policy, approves the school budget, and hires and evaluates the Superintendent who runs the schools day to day. A non-voting student representative also sits with the committee.
Lorinda K. Visnick
Lindsay Harnden
Kaarin L. Robinson
Michael P. Cahill
Geraldine Cahill
Catherine G. Frost
Madeline R. Lennox
Kimberley J. Coelho
John E. Taylor
The district’s 2026 roster lists the Vice President for Ward 4 as Lindsay Harnden, while the city’s November 2025 results and the committee’s June 10, 2026 minutes list her as Lindsay Ducharme.
The District at a Glance
- Enrollment: 4,497 students, PreK through 12.
- Schools: eight, including Beverly High School.
- Graduation rate: 91.1% for the class of 2025.
- State data: DESE profile (code 00300000).
Meetings & Participation
- When: the committee meets at 6:00 PM in the Beverly Middle School library, usually the second Wednesday of the month, on the district’s 2026-27 schedule, and agendas are posted on the district website.
- Public comment: residents may address the committee with the chair’s permission. Check the agenda for sign-up details.
- Watch: meetings are carried by BevCam and available on demand.
- Subcommittees: much of the detailed work on budget, policy, and negotiations happens in subcommittees.
What this seat decides
Your schools
School Committee. Start times, the school calendar, bus routes and stops, the phone policy, athletics and activity fees, and the policies in the student handbook. It sets district policy, and the total size of the school budget is voted by the City Council.
Your principal and your superintendent. The principal for how a school rule works day to day in your building. The superintendent for how the whole district runs. The School Committee selects the superintendent, and the superintendent appoints the principals, so a question about any other staff member goes to the district, not to the board.
Curious how a bill becomes law, or how students can take on a civics project?
MassCivics last checked this page on October 7, 2026.
Sources
- Schools and districts: Massachusetts DESE, Cohort 2025 Graduation Rates, Beverly (00300000), as of June 2025.
- Schools and districts: Massachusetts DESE, Contact Information, Beverly (00300000), as of October 2025.
- Schools and districts: Massachusetts DESE, Enrollment Data (2025-26), Beverly (00300000), as of October 2025.
- City records: City of Beverly, Beverly government website (beverlyma.gov).
- Charter and bylaws: Massachusetts General Court, Acts of 2023, Chapter 48, the Beverly Home Rule Charter, as of September 29, 2023.
- School district records: Beverly Public Schools, Administration, Beverly Public Schools, as of January 2026.
- School district records: Beverly Public Schools, Beverly School Committee Finance and Facilities Committee agenda, September 24, 2025, as of September 24, 2025.
- School district records: Beverly Public Schools, Contact Information, School Committee, as of January 2026.
- School district records: Beverly Public Schools, School Committee 2026-2027 School Year Schedule, as of September 2026.
- School district records: Beverly Public Schools, School Committee Meeting Minutes, June 10, 2026, as of June 10, 2026.