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School for Deaf reaches tuition deal with city - SalemNews.com, Salem, MA
The Beverly School for the Deaf will offer Beverly residents half-price tuition for its preschool program in the first of what could be several agreements with the city's tax-exempt organizations.
The deal with the School for the Deaf was announced by the Beverly PILOT/SILOT committee, a volunteer group formed by Ward 6 Councilor Judith Cronin to pursue payments or services in lieu of property taxes that the organizations would pay if they were not tax-exempt.
"This is the first of several agreements that the committee anticipates reaching with similar organizations around the city," the committee said in a press release.
Mark Carlson, executive director of the School for the Deaf, said Beverly families will get a 50 percent discount on the $12,000 tuition for the preschool program. He said there will be five to 10 openings for the upcoming year.
Carlson said the School for the Deaf has an "integrated" preschool in which half of the children are deaf, hard of hearing or have special needs and the other half are "community peers."
"The peer models become language models, behavioral models and social models, and the kids from the community get to learn sign language in a structured setting," Carlson said.
The school is expanding its preschool from two to three classrooms next year, with a maximum total of 30 students, he said. The classes run Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and are for ages 3 to 5.
Carlson said the School for the Deaf, which is on Echo Avenue, had no formal arrangement with the city to provide payments or services until this agreement was reached.
"This is a way that helps us to both expand our program and to give back to the community," he said.
Cronin formed the 10-member PILOT/SILOT committee last year in an attempt to seek payments or services from some of the 75 tax-exempt organizations in the city.
Beverly currently has agreements with Endicott College, Montserrat College of Art, North Shore Music Theatre, Beverly Hospital, the Beverly Housing Authority and Landmark School to contribute money or services to the city.
In the press release, Cronin said the committee is "grateful for (Beverly School for the Deaf's) willingness to work cooperatively with the City of Beverly to further define its contribution to the community."
The Beverly School for the Deaf will offer Beverly residents half-price tuition for its preschool program in the first of what could be several agreements with the city's tax-exempt organizations.
The deal with the School for the Deaf was announced by the Beverly PILOT/SILOT committee, a volunteer group formed by Ward 6 Councilor Judith Cronin to pursue payments or services in lieu of property taxes that the organizations would pay if they were not tax-exempt.
"This is the first of several agreements that the committee anticipates reaching with similar organizations around the city," the committee said in a press release.
Mark Carlson, executive director of the School for the Deaf, said Beverly families will get a 50 percent discount on the $12,000 tuition for the preschool program. He said there will be five to 10 openings for the upcoming year.
Carlson said the School for the Deaf has an "integrated" preschool in which half of the children are deaf, hard of hearing or have special needs and the other half are "community peers."
"The peer models become language models, behavioral models and social models, and the kids from the community get to learn sign language in a structured setting," Carlson said.
The school is expanding its preschool from two to three classrooms next year, with a maximum total of 30 students, he said. The classes run Monday through Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. and are for ages 3 to 5.
Carlson said the School for the Deaf, which is on Echo Avenue, had no formal arrangement with the city to provide payments or services until this agreement was reached.
"This is a way that helps us to both expand our program and to give back to the community," he said.
Cronin formed the 10-member PILOT/SILOT committee last year in an attempt to seek payments or services from some of the 75 tax-exempt organizations in the city.
Beverly currently has agreements with Endicott College, Montserrat College of Art, North Shore Music Theatre, Beverly Hospital, the Beverly Housing Authority and Landmark School to contribute money or services to the city.
In the press release, Cronin said the committee is "grateful for (Beverly School for the Deaf's) willingness to work cooperatively with the City of Beverly to further define its contribution to the community."