ADAMS, Mass. — Selectman John Duval has told the Finance Committee that this year the town will not hold joint budget hearings.
"We are going back to the way we used to do things ... we are going to go through every department and deliberate," Duval said last week.
Former Town Administrator Tony Mazzucco had initiated the joint public hearings held at the Visitors Center during his three-year tenure and greatly condensed the budget process. Department heads presented their budgets via PowerPoint and the public was encouraged to attend and ask questions.
Duval said the meetings were informative but there was less discussion among boards.
"They were nice to have but in my opinion, there was no deliberation among board members," he said. "When we did this a few years ago, we would go to 10 or 11 at night arguing about the budget. We are going back to that format."
This means the budget process will be once again be a lengthy one with both the Board of Selectmen and the Finance Committee running through the same budget at separate meetings.
Finance Committee member Craig Corrigan said this was already in the works before Mazzucco knew he was leaving the post, as Corrigan and another member had approached Mazzucco about the subject.
"We decided that we weren't going to do the Punch and Judy Show like he did. We just did not have control," he said. "So, it was going to change anyway."
The Selectmen will roll out the budget schedule in the coming weeks.
The Finance Committee also reaffirmed that it wanted to pursue a charter change and decrease the board's membership from 15 members to 13.
Currently, there are only 13 members on the committee, but they would still need eight for a quorum.
Member Tim Burdick said it is important that each meeting has a quorum so business can go forward.
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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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