To the editor:
It has become evident that the current iteration of Berkshire Hills Regional School District (BHRSD) is not cost effective and is not addressing the needs of the three towns that comprise the school district.
The upcoming push to fund a new high school is focused on building something bigger and better while ignoring the fact that times have changed and that the goals must change as well.
The current high school building is past its due date, not just in terms of its physical structure but also in terms of its function. The decreasing enrollment of BHRSD is apparent and has been studied in the past. Interesting enough, a study performed in 2018 charted the decline in enrollment and predicted the trajectory of the decline. What was not predicted was the degree of decline in enrollment of BHRSD compared to Southern Berkshire Regional School District (SBRSD).
What shortcomings are notable you may ask. Let me list them in simple terms.
Price: Nobody else in Berkshire County pays as much per student as BHRSD.
Graduation rate: MMRHS has the lowest four-year graduation rate when compared to SBRSD; Central Berkshire Regional School District; and Lee, Lenox, and Mount Greylock high schools.
Attendance rate: Lower than any of the previously mentioned schools.
Superintendent salary: Highest.
Average teacher salary: Second highest.
Student-teacher ratio: Lowest because enrollment is decreasing and teacher FTE is increasing.
Dropout rate: Second worst.
Advanced course completion: Lower than any of the previously mentioned schools.
SAT scores: Below state average.
College bound: Second worst.
There needs to be a reassessment of what changes would benefit the students graduating from the school district and how to improve the outcome of the students. A new building will not resolve the mediocre record of the current high school.
It is time to think about what is lacking in southern Berkshire County from an educational viewpoint. The lack of a dedicated technical/vocational high school is an obvious issue.
Letting the surrounding high schools muddle through tech/vocational offerings is less useful than having a dedicated school. The Charles H. McCann Technical High School is such a school serving northern Berkshire County.
Having a similar school in southern Berkshire County would be a benefit to the students, the communities, and the taxpayers. The central location of Great Barrington would offer an ideal location for such a project.
The current Monument Mountain Regional High School is too expensive, too limited in its offerings, and not conducive to the betterment of the students or the towns funding the enterprise. The value of the current high school just is not there in its present form.
Providing a technical/vocational high school would be forward thinking and justify the expense of a new school building. All pertinent parties would benefit in a meaningful way.
Jan Wojcik
Great Barrington
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