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The School Committee members of the Hoosac Valley Student Council Advisory Committee.

ACRSD To Look At Why Students Leave District

By Jack GuerinoiBerkshires Staff
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CHESHIRE, Mass. — The Adams Cheshire Regional School District will look into why students school choice out of the district.
 
Interim Superintendent Robert Putnam told the School Committee Monday that 327 Adams-Cheshire students this year will attend other schools such as McCann Technical, Berkshire Arts and Technology Public Charter and St. Stanislaus Kostka schools.
 
He said McCann has enrolled 177 students, 53 of which are freshmen. BArT has enrolled 76 students and St. Stans has enrolled 74 students. 
 
Putnam said that the numbers are consistent with the past years even though student population has steadily declined.
 
"I was trying to see how these numbers have changed over time, and…if you look at our kids who have been going to McCann since 2010 the numbers have remained fairly constant," he said.
 
"BArT for the past few years have been in the 70s and St. Stans has been similar. I think each of these schools fill out a particular niche, and the kids that are going to St. Stans are going to go there." 
 
He added that 54 students from outside of the district have choiced into the Adams Cheshire Regional School District but more usually choice out. He said he believes near 90 students have choiced out of the district and have joined others such as North Adams, Mount Greylock Regional School District and Pittsfield.
 
"The choice out students number is interesting, and I am thinking about looking into it more carefully because I’d like to know why students choice out to other districts," Putnam said. "I am trying to figure out a way to reach out to them."
 
Putnam added that the district's overall enrollment on Oct. 1 is about the same as it was in September with a total of 1,318. But last year at the time enrollment was 1,361.
 
Putnam said this represents 243 students in Cheshire elementary, 451 in CT Plunkett and 624 at Hoosac Valley. 
 
School Committee member Paul Butler suggested the committee adopt a resolution in regards to question 2 on the ballot this November, which would raise the cap on the number of charter schools in the state.
 
"I would like to have a resolution supporting the no side of that," Butler said. "I would like to have the committee weigh in on it."
 
More than 150 school committee across the state has adopted such a resolution claiming that the funding formula for charter schools pulls funding from the traditional public schools.
 
School Committee member Darlene Rodowicz suggested that the district uses the question as a learning experience for some Hoosac Valley math students by asking them to see if charter schools are really cost neutral.  
 
"Since the proponents say that it doesn’t take any money away from our district, which I beg the differ, I would like to see if some of our finest math students could figure it out for the community," she said.
 
"I think it is a great practical lesson as well. Sometimes math is very abstract but when you put it into the real world I think it would be very meaningful to see how it works."
 
Putnam agreed and said he would suggest it to the Hoosac Valley principal. 
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Hoosac Valley High School is Moving and Shaking

There have been some major shifts within the Hoosac Valley Regional School District recently, all of which have focused on enhancing the student experience to make it a place where ALL students can find their path.
 
In 2023, Hoosac Valley High School was designated an Innovation Pathway School by the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) and has since restructured the Program of Studies, utilized creative scheduling, and expanded internship opportunities. Part of this transformation includes participating in a "Portrait of a Graduate" cohort alongside four other Berkshire County schools to determine a collective vision for student success, in partnership with the BARR Foundation.
 
The Innovation Pathways at HVHS are designed to give students coursework and experience in a specific high-demand industry, such as technology, engineering, healthcare, or life sciences. Currently, Biomedical Science & Healthcare and Environmental Studies have received official state IP designation. In addition to the IP designated pathways, HVHS offers programs in Engineering & Technology, Business & Entrepreneurship, Arts & Entertainment, Education, and Sports Medicine. The result is that students have an opportunity for a transformative experience – enabling them to build essential skills, gain awareness of future career opportunities, and make informed choices about post-secondary education in promising fields.
 
Principal Colleen Byrd notes, "What makes our program special is that entry into the Pathway of your choice allows a student to access Advanced Placement and dual enrollment college courses, as well as internships in the community to set them up for success after high school."
 
The Portrait of a Graduate initiative consists of a team of Hoosac educators and students who exemplify the essential skills, practices, and beliefs that define learning experiences across the district. They work to outline the competencies, values, skills, and knowledge that define our vision for student success – keeping in mind that not every student's pathway will look the same. The District's goal is to ensure that all students graduate as responsible people, prepared individuals, lifelong learners, global citizens, critical thinkers, and thoughtful communicators.
 
Another recent change district-wide in grades K-12 is the "Crew" culture. Teachers and students now have time each day to create positive connections and build authentic relationships with one another. Through Responsive Classroom at the elementary school and Crew at the middle and high schools, students and staff gather for 30 minutes each day to engage in meaningful experiences rooted in mutual and shared interests. 
The Crew block is a prioritized structure that allows staff to support all students socially, emotionally, and academically – anchoring them and promoting the Portrait of a Graduate competencies. Crew takes many forms at the high school, such as gardening, bird watching, yoga, and sports talk with visits to college games.
 
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