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Chairman Paul Butler said he had ties to both Cheshire and Adams before voting with the other Adams representatives to close the Cheshire School.

Adams-Cheshire Board Votes to Close Cheshire Elementary School

By Jack GuerinoiBerkshires Staff
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A crowd was on hand to hear the final vote on which elementary school would close. 
CHESHIRE, Mass. — The Adams-Cheshire Regional School Committee voted 4-3 to close Cheshire Elementary School on Thursday night, splitting along town lines. 
 
The anticipated vote came after a nearly two hour meeting at Hoosac Valley High School and was one of five taken to reconfigure the regional school district, including moving Grades 4 and 5 up to Hoosac Valley.
 
"This is short-term solution and we have to think about the future …I wish we did not have to make this decision but our budget demands us to do something," Superintendent of Schools Robert Putnam said. "What we do tonight is not necessarily what the future is."
 
Of the two votes taken on which school keep open, three Cheshire representatives — Darlene Rodowicz, Peter Tatro and Edmund St. John IV — voted to keep Cheshire Elementary School open and the four Adams representatives — Stephan Vigna, Regina Hill, Jennifer Gageant and Paul Butler — voted to keep C.T. Plunkett School open.
 
Before voting the School Committee members made final statements.
 
Vigna said his decision was based on all the data and input from the public but he also put himself in the shoes of the students and felt the more recently renovated Plunkett offered a better educational opportunity. 
 
"Some would say improving education is only made attributable through more dollars, and this may be true but I always agreed that the environment in which a student learns plays just as an important role in their overall education," Vigna said. 
 
Hill said that although she saw great things in both schools, she felt Plunkett offered more space, more opportunity and would allow for more enrollment in the future.
 
"I believe that the only sound decision educationally and more responsible decision fiscally that I can support is to close Cheshire and consolidate into C.T. Plunkett," Hill said.  
 
On the Cheshire side, St. John said closing Cheshire would only take additional transportation reimbursement funds and other savings out of the classroom. 
 
"We hear the needs of our teachers and staff and they need support and we need to be able to ensure funding not only for this year but for the years to come," he said. "My fear is closing Cheshire does not put any resources back into the classroom … I feel like it is educationally irresponsible to take those funds away from our children."
 
Rodowicz said both schools can handle the number of children and will house the same teachers so the education will not change. What will change is increased funding that can help improve education if Cheshire were to stay open. 
 
Residents filled a majority of the Hoosac Valley auditorium and those who spoke reiterated arguments for each building made in the many past public meetings to gather input from the residents. However, some residents asked that both communities look forward. 
 
"This feels a little bit like a Band Aid and there is a long term we have to look at. We close a school either one is a long-term solution," Cheshire resident John Tremblay said. "I challenge the leaders of both towns to come together along with the people and not have it be Adams against Cheshire."
 
Putnam said he would like to create a committee with members of both towns to create a vision for the future of the district that both communities can get behind. With a substantial renovation or new build over five years away, he said there is time to create this vision.
 
The School Committee will vote on the fiscal 2018 budget Monday. The budget scenarios range from cutting staff and only hiring a few of the recently recommended positions to stay within a 3 percent increase for Adams to a budget that will have all five recommended positions but that will require a Proposition 2 1/2 override.

Tags: ACRSD,   ACRSD_budget,   school closures,   

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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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