Berkshire County — A series of special town meetings will determine the future of education in eight towns in Berkshire County. Residents at the special town meetings will vote on whether or not to approve an eight-town regional school district agreement that, if approved by a majority of residents at each town meeting, will merge Berkshire Hills and Southern Berkshire regional school districts.
The Berkshire Hills Regional School District includes Great Barrington, Stockbridge, and West Stockbridge, while the Southern Berkshire Regional School District includes Monterey, New Marlborough, Sheffield, Alford, and Egremont.
Back on September 26, after more than three and a half years of meetings, the Eight Town Regional School District Planning Board approved a final school district regional agreement. If the district merger agreement is approved by all towns at the special town meetings, the district would become fully operational by June 30, 2026, which would mean both existing school districts would cease to operate at that time.
During the transition period, the transition committee and its member towns “shall vote to approve the debt for the new high school by the terms [of the agreement] and Massachusetts School Building Authority rules and regulations.” As part of the agreement, a new high school building would be built on the campus of Monument Mountain Regional High School. If the member towns fail to approve the debt for the new high school by June 30, 2025, the agreement will be terminated.
The merger agreement does not list an estimated cost for a new high school, but instead an “assumed” cost of $100 million in its documentation.
According to the regional school district agreement, Great Barrington, Stockbridge, and West Stockbridge would assume 90 percent of the cost of the new high school, while the remaining five towns will pay for 10 percent of its costs. The agreement lists, however, that it is possible for Great Barrington, Stockbridge, and West Stockbridge to receive 48.52 percent financial aid from the Massachusetts School Building Authority towards costs for the new high school, while the remaining towns can get six percent in financial aid.
If the merger of both school districts goes to plan, a district school committee of 11 members will be formed. The committee would consist of three members from Great Barrington; two members from Sheffield; and one member each from Alford, Egremont, Monterey, New Marlborough, Stockbridge, and West Stockbridge.
According to documentation from the Eight Town Regional School District Planning Board, by 2030 there will be an estimated 1,280 students in the merged school district. If the districts do not merge, by 2030 there will be an estimated 403 students in the Southern Berkshire Regional School District, and an estimated 877 students in the Berkshire Hills Regional School District.
The Eight Town Regional School District Planning Board estimates that, if both districts merge, “Efficiencies and economies of scale will result in savings projected at $1.2 to $1.8 million annually. Savings can be used to limit future annual assessment increases or to invest in educational enhancements.”
Over the past few weeks, since the approval of the school district regional agreement by the Eight Town Regional School District Planning Board, letters to the editor have poured into The Berkshire Edge from residents both for and against the two school districts merging.
The following is a list of recent letters to the editor regarding the proposed eight-town school district merger agreement, as of publication:
- “A personal reflection on the proposed Eight Town Regional School District merger,” by Patrick White, Stockbridge.
- “Once doubtful, I now strongly support the Eight Town Regional School District merger,” by Glendon Chamberlin, New Marlborough.
- “The Eight Town Regional School District Planning Board has a plan that could turn our goals into reality,” by Joan Rogers, Alford.
- “Merger of Berkshire Hills, Southern Berkshire school districts is inevitable,” by Ron Ronan and Karin Watkins, South Egremont.
- “Seize the moment for our kids’ future,” by Peter Taylor, Vice Chair of the Eight Town Regional School District Planning Board, Great Barrington.
- “The Eight Town Regional School District merger is not the solution to declining enrollments,” by Rene Wood, Sheffield.
- “The school district merger is a rare opportunity to do something that is good for everyone’s wallets and for their children,” by Susan Engel, New Marlborough.
- “Thoughts on declining enrollment in two South Berkshire school districts,” by Stephen Leibowitz, Sheffield.
- “Why I’m voting no on Eight Town Regional Agreement,” by Rene Wood, Sheffield.
- “Proposed school merger seeks the appropriate scale,” by Susan Witt, Egremont.
- “Our school, our choice,” by Taylor Linscott Lamme, South Egremont.
- “Hostile environment in Egremont during school merger meeting,” by Taylor Linscott Lamme, South Egremont.
- “Community needs vs. unfounded fears,” by Sharon Gregory, Great Barrington.
- “Concerns and considerations regarding the proposed school district merger,” by Beth Dean, New Marlborough.
- “Join me in opposing the school district merger,” by Vito Valentini, Sheffield.
Special town meeting schedule:
Saturday, Oct. 21
Egremont: Mount Everett Regional School, 491 Berkshire School Rd. in Sheffield, 10 a.m. Link to warrant here.
The warrant includes three other articles: an article to approve $29,000 to pay mandated back wages to a police officer, an article to approve $10,000 for legal fees, and an article to rename the town’s Board of Selectmen to the Select Board by amending the town’s General Bylaws.
Monday, Oct. 23
Alford: Town Firehouse at 86 North Egremont Rd., 6 p.m. Link to warrant here.
The warrant includes an additional article asking special town meeting attendees to approve the transfer of $75,000 from the town’s Retained Earnings line item of the Alford Link Enterprise Fund budget into the Capital Improvements budget.
Great Barrington: Monument Mountain Regional High School at 600 Stockbridge Rd., 6 p.m. Link to warrant here.
The warrant includes an article asking residents to approve three community preservation projects totaling $442,400, including $92,400 in emergency family housing funds for Construct Inc., $50,000 in funding for the Ramsdell Library, and $300,000 for an open space and recreation project involving the Community Land Trust and River Run Farm.
The last article has been placed on the warrant via citizen’s petition, and it states: “We are petitioning the town of Great Barrington to put to a VOTE whether the VOTERS want a redesign of the Mason Public Library grounds.” The citizen’s petition does not list any further details or specifics on what, exactly, residents are voting on. However, it can be assumed that the citizen’s petition is referring to the W.E.B. Du Bois Sculpture Project.
Monterey: Fire House at 411 Main Rd., 6 p.m. Link to warrant here.
Along with the warrant question concerning the proposed school merger, there are a total of four article questions on the warrant.
Article One asks residents to approve amending a section of the town’s Departmental Revolving Fund bylaw by adding two new revolving funds: a Police Department revolving fund related to the purchase and expenses for 911 signs, and a revolving fund for community events held by the Council on Aging.
Article Two asks the residents to authorize the Select Board to lease a parcel of land owned by the town at 40 Gould Rd. for the installation and ownership of a Community Shared Solar PV System and Battery Energy Storage System. The lease would be for up to 20 years, with two additional five-year terms by a mutual agreement of the parties involved.
Article Three asks for residents to approve and amend various zoning bylaws, including section 2.2.2 Solar Photovoltaic Overlay District, section 2.2.3 Municipal Parcel Solar Overlay District, and Section 7.8.8 Dimensional Requirements. Full details of these proposed changes can be found on the special town meeting agenda.
New Marlborough: Firehouse, 205 Norfolk Rd. in Southfield Village, 6 p.m. Link to warrant here.
The only agenda item on the special town meeting warrant is a vote on the potential school district merger.
Sheffield: Mount Everett Regional High School, 489 Berkshire Hill Rd., 6 p.m. Link to warrant here.
The only agenda item on the special town meeting warrant is a vote on the potential school district merger.
Stockbridge: Town Offices, 50 Main Street, 6 p.m. Link to warrant here.
The first article for the special town meeting is a vote on the potential school district merger. The second article asks residents to approve the establishment of a senior citizen property tax work-off abatement program, which would be created under state general law.
West Stockbridge: Town Offices, 21 State Line Rd., 6 p.m. Link to warrant here.
The only agenda item on the special town meeting warrant is a vote on the potential school district merger.
