Letter: Williamstown Shouldn't Rush Zoning Changes

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To the Editor:

To Members of the Select Board and the Planning Board of Williamstown,

I have been a resident of Williamstown since 1971 and the owner of residential property in town. I am concerned about the process going through your committees to consider zoning changes in this town.

The process is rushing to put these changes in the next warrant articles, to be voted on in the next town meeting. This is unfair to town residents, who need more time to learn about and consider these proposed changes — few residents are even aware of their existence.


Most importantly, the town has hired a consultant for a new comprehensive plan for the town and Berkshire Regional Planning Commission is in the process of conducting a housing needs assessment for Berkshire County. Until these two reports have been completed, it makes no sense to ask us to vote on changes in zoning ordinances.

Thank you for your vigilance in ensuring that we voters get all the information and consultation we need to vote responsibly on proposed zoning changes in Williamstown.

Sincerely,

Tela Zasloff
Williamstown, Mass.

 

 

 


Tags: zoning,   

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Mount Greylock School Committee Talks Elementary Math Instruction

By Stephen DravisiBerkshires Staff
WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. — In the shadow of a community-wide discussion about math instruction at Williamstown Elementary School, the Mount Greylock Regional School Committee Thursday heard a presentation about steps the district is taking to improve its program at both elementary schools.
 
Assistant Superintendent of Teaching and Learning Joelle Brookner talked with the committee about the district's move to the i-Ready math curriculum in grades K through 6 and how the first year of the curriculum's adoption already appears to be paying dividends.
 
Brookner first provided some background in how the district came to adopt the learning platform from publisher Curriculum Associates.
 
The process started when the district took a hard look at the pupils' performance in math and realized its former curriculum, Everyday Math, might need to be replaced.
 
Math instruction was a strong enough concern at the Williamstown school that its School Council this winter requested the addition of a full-time math interventionist to the faculty for the 2026-27 academic year.
 
Ultimately, that request did not make the cut when the administration produced a budget that was approved by the School Committee to send to town meetings in Williamstown and Lanesborough. But a group of concerned parents has announced its plan to make an amendment on the floor of the Williamstown annual town meeting Tuesday to add $120,000 to the town's assessment for the district in order to fund the position at WES.
 
At last Thursday's meeting, Brookner acknowledged the planned amendment and said that an interventionist, if added, would become "an integral part of the team" at the elementary school.
 
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