Berkshire Hills Regional School District (BHRSD)

As the Berkshire Hills’ superintendent and a Stockbridge resident, I hope to share school and district updates on a regular basis.

For nearly two years the Regional School District Planning Board (RSDPB) has been meeting to look at possibilities around collaboration and consolidation. The 24-member group representing 8 towns has three representatives from Stockbridge: Nick Fredsall, Sean Stephen and Patrick White.

Two important meetings are coming up that the RSDPB encourages interested families and community members to attend. The first is the February 7th meeting during which the RSDPB’s research team will present their findings on indicators of educational quality and Career Vocational and Technical Education (“CVTE”) and the possibilities of a merged high school. CVTE represents what used to be called vocational programs. Current ones include horticulture, automotive, and early childhood education while we expand opportunities in small manufacturing, health care, and hospitality.

The second meeting, TBD, during the research team will synthesize its research findings to date and present the three models under consideration as they move toward a recommendation.

Both meetings will be held remotely beginning at 5:30 p.m. At the end of each meeting, there will be opportunities for public comment on the topics presented.

Visit the RSDPB’s website, www.8towns.org, for results of recent community surveys and focus groups, detailed reports, and the Zoom links for upcoming meetings.

On the lighter side, here’s a link to our recent winter concert. Enjoy.

In future issues, I hope to share updates on our work to renovate or build a new high school, on our shifts in curriculum and our approaches to teaching, and highlights around our recent graduates.

Please feel free to contact Peter Dillon at peter.dillon@bhrsd.org