CLARKSBURG, Mass. — Residents in Clarksburg and Stamford, Vt., are encouraged to attend Tuesday's public forum on merging the two towns' school districts.
The forum will be held on Tuesday, Jan. 22, at 6:30 p.m. at Clarksburg Elementary School.
Representatives from Public Consulting Group of Boston will be on hand to walk attendees through the timeline for the feasibility study on creating an interstate school district.
"We encourage people from both towns to attend this meeting because it is their first opportunity to meet with Public Consulting Group and to hear more about the study being conducted," said Kimberly Roberts-Morandi, a member of the Interstate Merger Committee. "It also is an opportunity to ask questions about the process."
PCG was jointly hired by officials in both towns on the recommendation of the merger committee in late December. The consultants have been contracted to review the potential benefits and challenges of merging the districts in terms of academics, finances and physical structures; how the governance of such a district might be constituted; how it could impact the North Berkshire School Union; and the legislative and congressional process for implementing an interstate school district.
Tuesday's meeting will be the first of a number of planned forums and meetings with stakeholders in the process, from community members to teachers. Those attending the first public forum will be asked to sign up for focus groups to take place in February with the PCG team.
Following the presentation, there will be time to ask questions about the feasibility process.
The merger discussion is being largely driven by Vermont's Act 46, which seeks to combine school districts to streamline governance and purchasing power. Stamford, however, is geographically and culturally isolated and rejected the state's push for it to partner with a school 25 miles away.
Clarksburg and Stamford are separated by an arbitrary state line but share not only geographical proximity but also strong familial, cultural and academic ties. There are relatives on both sides of the border and most people in Stamford work in Massachusetts, as well as do their shopping and banking. Stamford and Clarksburg also largely send their secondary students to the same high schools in Massachusetts.
Officials in both towns are hoping a merger will strengthen the two school districts academically and financially and provide opportunities for programming growth. There are no plans to close either school but to rather see how each might be better utilized.
The work is being funded by matching grants of $25,000 from each state and a $30,000 grant to Clarksburg through Massachusetts' Community Compact program. Some of the funds have already been expended on legal fees.
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MassDOT Project Will Affect Traffic Near BMC
By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Prepare for traffic impacts around Berkshire Medical Center through May for a state Department of Transportation project to improve situations and intersections on North Street and First Street.
Because of this, traffic will be reduced to one lane of travel on First Street (U.S. Route 7) and North Street between Burbank Street and Abbott Street from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m., Monday through Friday through at least May 6.
BMC and Medical Arts Complex parking areas remain open and detours may be in place at certain times. The city will provide additional updates on changes to traffic patterns in the area as construction progresses.
The project has been a few years in the making, with a public hearing dating back to 2021. It aims to increase safety for all modes of transportation and improve intersection operation.
It consists of intersection widening and signalization improvements at First and Tyler streets, the conversion of North Street between Tyler and Stoddard Avenue to serve one-way southbound traffic only, intersection improvements at Charles Street and North Street, intersection improvements at Springside Avenue and North Street, and the construction of a roundabout at the intersection of First Street, North Street, Stoddard Avenue, and the Berkshire Medical Center entrance.
Work also includes the construction of 5-foot bike lanes and 5-foot sidewalks with ADA-compliant curb ramps.
Last year, the City Council approved multiple orders for the state project: five orders of takings for intersection and signal improvements at First Street and North Street.
The total amount identified for permanent and temporary takings is $397,200, with $200,000 allocated by the council and the additional monies coming from carryover Chapter 90 funding. The state Transportation Improvement Plan is paying for the project and the city is responsible for 20 percent of the design cost and rights-of-way takings.
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