Letter: Jennifer Macksey for Mayor

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To the Editor:

I am writing to encourage you to cast your vote for Jennifer Macksey as the next mayor of North Adams. I have worked very closely with Jennifer in matters of the Northern Berkshire School Union. Jennifer's success rate for improving our schools has been 100 percent.

I am the chairperson for the Northern Berkshire School Union's joint school committees. Jennifer was hired as business manager for NBSU with her main goal to write grants for the five town school districts. Jennifer went way above and beyond finding grant money for all of the schools. To Jennifer's position as business manager, assistant superintendent was added to her job description as she was able to receive building grants and then proceeded to oversee the projects from bids to final completion. Jennifer has done an amazing job working with all five towns in the NBSU. Jennifer is always there with answers and suggestions to improve all of the school communities.

On the business manager side of her job, Jennifer has been able to organize all of the individual budgets for each school and was able to set up an account so each of the shared employees did not have to receive five different checks from five different towns that belong to the NBSU. Jennifer's accounting skills have enabled the towns to file end of year reports for their schools. Jennifer has always met all grant deadlines and has made sure that all NBSU bills are paid in a timely fashion.

Leadership and compassion are two words that I would use to describe Jennifer. Jennifer has the ability to evaluate situations and she has incredible skills with which to make professional decisions. Jennifer has strong, effective, decision making skills. Jennifer has a passion for service.

Jennifer has been personally connected to North Adams her entire life. She has been a resident of North Adams, an employee in the City of North Adams, an employee in MCLA, vice president of Southern Vermont College and is currently the assistant superintendent/business manager of the Northern Berkshire School Union, which serves five towns and four schools. Jennifer has the best interests for the City of North Adams in her decision to be mayor of North Adams.

Judith Oleson
Florida, Mass. 

Judith Oleson is chair of the Abbott Memorial School Committee and the Northern Berkshire School Union Committee. 

 

 

 

 

 


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North Adams School, Finance Committee Endorse $22M School Budget

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The Finance Committee on Wednesday recommended a fiscal 2027 spending plan of $22 million that had been approved by the School Committee on Tuesday. 
 
The spending plan of $22,393,775 is an increase of $757,554 over this year, or 3.5 percent. It will be funded through the Chapter 70 state education grant estimated at $16,796,682 (based on the governor's budget); school-choice funds of $1,446,419, up $506,411; and local funding of $4,150,673 (also based on the governor's budget), up $161,942 or 4.06 percent.
 
Based on new numbers from the House and Senate, the city's portion could drop to $4,049, 353.
 
"A lot of our advocacy this year is around Chapter 70 and the various funding formulas," said Superintendent Timothy Callahan during the public hearing preceding the committee meeting. "We as a School Committee, but certainly I as an individual and other members of the administrative team, have participated in various sessions to advocate for more funding from Chapter 70, a massive part of our district budget."
 
Chapter 70 is critical to the school budget, with nearly 80 percent of its funding coming through the state. 
 
Business Manager Nancy Rauscher explained to the Finance Committee that the schools have "hugely benefited from that over the last few years, with significant increases" based on the district's needs and community profile.
 
"This is the first year that we've been considered a minimum aid district," she said. "What that means is you're held harmless. You're still getting what you were given ... but the addition is just a minimum eight addition. This year, it's $75, per student. So it literally is 75 times the number of students, and at that time it was 1,192 students, when they did this."
 
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