The Edge recently sat down with Hinds in his Pittsfield office to discuss his proudest accomplishments, how to align workforce development needs with the education system, and his hopes and concerns about the rollout of recreational marijuana in the state, among other things.
Sen. Adam G. Hinds, D-Pittsfield, announced that Wednesday that the Massachusetts Senate adopted his budget amendment to increase funding for the Rural School Aid grant program by $1 million, raising the total appropriation for this account to $2.5 million in the fiscal year 2020 Senate budget.
The devil, however, was in the details, as panelists debated the pros and cons of building a brand-new new school or stripping the old one down to its core, constructing an addition and adding sprinkler systems and new infrastructure.
The funding is intended to help school districts with low population densities and lower-than-average incomes address fiscal challenges and take steps to improve efficiency.
A cultural district must be a walkable, compact area centered on existing amenities, but the benefits of the designation extend beyond formal downtown borders.
Officials say the foundation budget is adjusted and increased each year but mostly along the lines of inflation. But several expenses school districts are confronted with increase at a pace that greatly exceeds inflation: health insurance for current employees and retirees; special education, especially out-of-district placements; English language instruction for non-native speakers; preschool; data collection, including how students are counted; and transportation.
State Rep. William ‘Smitty’ Pignatelli also urged the task force to increase the breadth of its representation: "We don't need retired school superintendents making decisions about schools and towns ... It's time for new faces, and we need to engage everyone."
"Once we started doing our work, a clear consensus evolved that the one-district option presented the best opportunities for education and improved financial sustainability for the school districts." --John Hockridge, chair of the Berkshire County Education Task Force
