Savoy Considering Joining Adams-Cheshire Schools

By Andy McKeeveriBerkshires Staff
09:57PM / Wednesday, January 04, 2012Print Story | Email Story

ADAMS, Mass. — Savoy officials are looking at the possibility of closing the elementary school and joining the Adams-Cheshire Regional School District.

Savoy Select Board Chairman Scott Koczela asked the Adams Selectmen on Wednesday to support a grant application for a feasibility study of combining the school. Koczela said the elementary school is aging and becoming too much of a tax burden.

"I know this isn't going to be popular but our taxes have been going up and up and up," Koczela said. "We have to find out if it is costing way more money than the benefit of keeping it open."

The grant, through the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission, would study the benefits and repercussions of either tuitioning students into the district or having Savoy join the district. The school is currently part of the Northern Berkshire School Union with Clarksburg and the town of Florida.

"The initial drive behind this is to see if it will work," Koczela said. "We're looking to conduct a study to see if we should close it."

Koczela said he has already talked to the district's Superintendent Alfred Skrocki, who was supportive of the study. Town Administrator Jonathan Butler added that it could reap a benefit for the district because the additional students, which number about five per class through eighth grade, could help replace the students that opt to go elsewhere and take state Chapter 70 funds with them.

Koczela said the enrollment numbers have been dwindling and it would cost a lot to the taxpayers to build a new or renovate the school.

The Adams Selectmen approved supporting the application and Koczela said he will be seeking similar letters from Cheshire officials and school officials.

Tags: ACRSD,

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Regionalization is the key to survival. Very proactive. Good to start with the feasibility study. Thanks Mr. K.
from: Small Townie	on: 01-05-2012 07:13AM I Agree (28) - I Disagree (15)

Closing Savoy School would be a very bad idea. The children that go there get the best education!!!! I hope the parents of the children of Savoy fight to keep it open. I had 4 children go thru Savoy School. I think the town needs to look as who they are putting into position of leadership! That is where the change needs to be!
from: FORMER SAVOY RESIDENT	on: 01-05-2012 10:04AM I Agree (16) - I Disagree (27)
*Editor: They are applying for a grant to study* if the school should be closed.**
I Agree (12) - I Disagree (9)

I hope any study evaluates the quality of the education that students receive at Savoy. Sometimes just looking at the bottom line does not represent the best interests of the community.
from: Concerned	on: 01-05-2012 01:09PM I Agree (18) - I Disagree (10)

Excuse me concerned but Adams Cheshire does a fine job of educating children. There is no debate there.
from: small townie	on: 01-06-2012 07:26AM I Agree (16) - I Disagree (5)

Can our selectboard just decide to leave the North berkshire School Union, without support of parents or school board? Is Mr K. speaking for himself or all the taxpayers and school board. We have a pretty nice educational environment in Savoy!!!
from: Puzzled parent	on: 01-06-2012 03:37PM I Agree (6) - I Disagree (2)
Editor: I do not believe so. It would require multiple meetings and votes, just like it did when the Lanesborough and Williamstown schools created new partnerships.
I Agree (1) - I Disagree (1)

I believe that Mr. K. should have spoken with the School Committee befor opening his mouth. The school is in very good shape. And there are more students (than he quoted)also more teachers. And a lot of time donated to the school in many ways.
from: Alice Liebenow	on: 01-10-2012 10:51AM I Agree (5) - I Disagree (5)

I would like to think that the town raised MY property taxes over 40% two years ago when it overrode Proposition 2 1/2 in order to keep the school open and that it wasn't just empty promises. In a town that has NO sewer, NO water, NO trash pick up and NO other services than the school and road maintenance we certainly have a great individual tax burden. Our town fathers owe it to us to keep the school open. What else are our precious tax dollars going to? - In my opinion, it's time for the town "managers" to stop dangling the "school closing" carrot in front of our noses and start managing the town. Why waste tax dollars on a study, in an already poorly functioning, stretched to the limit budget?
from: Overtaxed and underserviced	on: 01-10-2012 03:36PM I Agree (6) - I Disagree (0)

I'm reading some of the comments about this story like this subject is new news. I attended a town meeting back in the summer and the selectboard asked town residents to help participate in this study. How many people have come forward to help? We complain about the taxes and lack of services, so where does all of our tax money go? I'll give you a guess - the school! You can go online and see the student enrollment and where it's gone the past few years and also look at the age of the school and dont think pay and insurance for not only our teachers and union staff is cheap, we pay part of the superentendants 100K+ pay check and the union staff. If this study finds that the school costs too much money to keep then maby it'll be brought up to a vote for US to decide on. Atleast we'll know what it's costing us. This is a very proactive move by the town and we should be happy that there are people in town that are looking out for all of us instead of burying their heads in the sand and complaining about how bad things are. Get involved and informed or you'll have to just live with the decisions of other people.
from: Informed Resident	on: 01-11-2012 10:27AM I Agree (9) - I Disagree (0)

Pittsfield Council Passes $232.7M Budget

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
06:15AM / Wednesday, June 10, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The City Council unanimously approved a $232.7 million budget for the upcoming fiscal year.

It is a modest, almost 2.9 percent increase from FY26.

"I do want to give the community kind of a heads up as we move forward on budgets. What we see coming out of the federal government that's trickling down to the states, it's going to be harder and harder for us as a community to meet our needs under the Proposition 2 1/2," Councilor at Large Alisa Costa said.

"We're going to have challenges, as we've seen communities across the state trying to override the Proposition 2 1/2, because we have dwindling amounts of money coming from the state and federal government."

She pointed out that, at the same time, utility bills are going up for both residents and the city, as are the costs of pavement and other items.

The amended budget of $232,777,720, down from the $232,782,090 originally proposed, includes cuts to the Department of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion and the restoration of funds for councilors to attend the annual Massachusetts Municipal Association conference.

The Pittsfield Public Schools' $86,855,061 budget includes $68,886,061 in state Chapter 70 funding and $18 million from the city. With $345,000 in school choice and Richmond tuition revenues, it totals $87,200,061 and is an approximately $300,000 increase from the Pittsfield Public Schools' FY26 budget of $86.9 million.

The district's budget will fund 13 schools, as Morningside Community School will retire in the fall, and includes the middle school restructuring.

Councilors also approved the use of $2 million in certified free cash to reduce the tax rate, and appropriated $450,551 for parking-related expenditures.

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