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The School Committee on Monday approved a $19.8 million budget for the coming year.

Adams-Cheshire School Committee Approves Fiscal 2019 Budget

By Jack GuerinoiBerkshires Staff
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ADAMS, Mass. — The Adams-Cheshire Regional School Committee approved a $19,750,146 budget for fiscal 2019 budget that is a 2.46 percent increase over this year's budget.
 
During a boilerplate budget hearing in the Hoosac Valley Elementary School auditorium Monday, the committee unanimously passed the uncontroversial spending plan that represents a $474,608 increase.
 
"With that, we have an approved budget from the School Committee and I want to thank everyone involved in this," Chairman Paul Butler. 
 
The spending plan builds off this year's budget, which brought on additional educational support positions and introduced new programming but at the cost of closing Cheshire Elementary School.
 
"This budget is good budget based on programming that will improve educational performance," Superintendent Robert Putnam said. "The development of this budget was informed by the Collins Center Report and the Turnaround Plan."
 
Originally the budget was closer to $19.5 million, however, with the addition of a one-time $200,000 reimbursement from Berkshire Health Group Retiree Drug Subsidy Funds, the budget slightly increased. The payment allowed the school district to keep its health insurance premium splits for retirees the same as this year, although the retirees' portions will rise over the next three years. 
 
Adams' minimal contribution will be $4,414,516 and Cheshire's will be $2,380,847. These amounts are calculated by the state.
 
The over the minimum assessments, which the school district sets, were purposefully kept low to provide both towns with some relief.
 
Adams will be assessed $16,535 and Cheshire $5,505.
 
The total assessment, within the levy limit, for Adams will be $4,966,936 which is a .528 percent increase and the total assessment for Cheshire will be $2,564,184, which is a 2.957 percent increase.
 
This budget continues to build on this year's budget and funds a full-time school psychologist as well as a new STEM teacher that will allow expanded programming at the high school level. 
 
The meeting was sparsely attended, with mostly administrators and teachers present, and few brought up any substantial issues with the budget. That's a change from recent years when budget deliberations had stoked opposition at meetings. Last year's budget fights left the school district without an approved spending plan coming in the fiscal year. 
 
The budget will now go before both communities for review before going to their respective town meetings. 
 

Tags: ACRSD_budget,   fiscal 2019,   

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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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