Clark Art to Charge Admission Starting Jan. 1

By Stephen DravisiBerkshires Staff
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WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — The Clark Art Institute on Tuesday officially posted its new admission policy, ending a long-standing practice of free admission November through May.
 
Beginning Jan. 1, adult admission to the galleries will be $20, according to the museum's website.
 
Admission will continue to be free for members, children under 18 and students with valid identification.
 
"We are also very happy to announce that we are instituting a new program of free admission on the first Sunday of each month from October through May," Clark Director of Communications Victoria Saltzman said in an email on Tuesday.
 
"In addition, we will continue to offer free admission for several family-themed days throughout the year, including a free day on Jan. 18 for a Monet|Kelly drawing day and a free winter celebration day on Feb. 15."
 
There had been some speculation that Clark would begin charging admission in the winter months after its reopening on July 4 and the conclusion of a $145 million renovation and addition. The nearly 60-year-old museum has been categorized as a "Bilbao of the Berkshires" and is expected to draw another 30,000 visitors a year.
 
Through the end of December, admission is free in the main galleries. However, the Monet|Kelly exhibition has a $10 admission charge through Dec. 31.

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Mount Greylock School Committee Votes Slight Increase to Proposed Assessments

By Stephen DravisiBerkshires Staff
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — The Mount Greylock Regional School Committee on Thursday voted unanimously to slightly increase the assessment to the district's member towns from the figures in the draft budget presented by the administration.
 
The School Committee opted to lower the use of Mount Greylock's reserve account by $70,000 and, instead, increase by that amount the share of the fiscal year 2025 operating budget shared proportionally by Lanesborough and Williamstown taxpayers.
 
The budget prepared by the administration and presented to the School Committee at its annual public hearing on Thursday included $665,000 from the district's Excess and Deficiency account, the equivalent of a municipal free cash balance, an accrual of lower-than-anticipated expenses and higher-than-anticipated revenue in any given year.
 
That represented a 90 percent jump from the $350,000 allocated from E&D for fiscal year 2024, which ends on June 30. And, coupled with more robust use of the district's tuition revenue account (7 percent more in FY25) and School Choice revenue (3 percent more), the draw down on E&D is seen as a stopgap measure to mitigate a spike in FY25 expenses and an unsustainable budgeting strategy long term, administrators say.
 
The budget passed by the School Committee on Thursday continues to rely more heavily on reserves than in years past, but to a lesser extent than originally proposed.
 
Specifically, the budget the panel approved includes a total assessment to Williamstown of $13,775,336 (including capital and operating costs) and a total assessment to Lanesborough of $6,425,373.
 
As a percentage increase from the FY24 assessments, that translates to a 3.90 percent increase to Williamstown and a 3.38 percent increase to Lanesborough.
 
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