PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Superintendent of Schools Jason "Jake" McCandless is actively seeking new opportunities and may leave the Pittsfield Public Schools.
After McCandless' evaluation by the School Committee on Wednesday, he confirmed that he is a finalist for the superintendent's position of the Silver Lake Regional School District in Kingston, just north of Plymouth.
"It simply feels in my gut like it is a good time to make a change," McCandless said.
McCandless came to Pittsfield in 2013 after being in Lee for 11 years, eight of those as superintendent and three as principal. He came to Lee after three years as an assistant principal in Virginia.
He signed a six-year contract in 2015, setting his salary at $157,000. The Silver Lake post would pay between $170,000 and $190,000 and the selected candidate would be expected to begin when the current superintendent retires at the end of January. Silver Lake has about 1,800 students compared to Pittsfield's 5,400.
"There are hundreds of things I will miss about Pittsfield and the Pittsfield Public Schools," the superintendent said on Thursday. "The wonderful people who make things work in the city and county and our students are an honor and privilege to serve as are their families."
He went on to praise the School Committee, the staff, city leaders, and the larger community that has supported him through the years.
"We have dedicated employees across the entire organizational chart and wonderful families who trust us with their treasure each day," McCandless said. "Our city government takes education seriously, and our whole county works together in extraordinary ways. Serving Lee, Tyringham, and Pittsfield has been a gift to me and our family.
"I will miss so much. I could go on, and talk myself out of this altogether."
McCandless said if not selected he and his family will re-evaluate their options. He said remaining in Pittsfield is not out of the question.
"If this opportunity does not work out, our family will evaluate our options and see," he said. "Staying here and continuing to serve is an excellent scenario, so we will see."
During his evaluation, the entire School Committee lauded his efforts over the years and all gave him marks of "exemplary" and "proficient."
Member Daniel Elias said he was astounded by his work ethic and dedication and member Joshua Cutler applauded his leadership especially during the school building project and rough budgetary times.
"His leadership comes at a critical time in Berkshire County as we face population decline, demographic shifts, and a lack of growth in resources that has dictated difficult decisions."
Members William Cameron and Dennis Powell thanked McCandless for his efforts to create a tolerant and inclusive environment in the school system. Powell said when he was the president of the NAACP, McCandless was completely receptive to all their concerns.
"These are difficult times and it is very difficult to change behavior and change mindsets," Powell said. "He did not give up on that ... he understands what it takes to make change."
Mayor Linda Tyer also had good things to say about McCandless and said he is a great communicator and advocate for students.
"Pittsfield is beyond fortunate to have Dr. McCandless leading our school community," she said. "He confronts challenges head-on and with passion and celebrates outstanding staff and student performances."
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Central Berkshire School Officials OK $35M Budget
By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
DALTON, Mass. — The Central Berkshire Regional School Committee approved a $35 million budget for fiscal 2025 during its meeting on Thursday.
Much of the proposed spending plan is similar to what was predicted in the initial and tentative budget presentations, however, the district did work with the Finance subcommittee to further offset the assessments to the towns, Superintendent Leslie Blake-Davis said.
"What you're going see in this budget is a lower average assessment to the towns than what you saw in the other in the tentative budget that was approved," she said.
The fiscal 2025 budget is $35,428,892, a 5.56 percent or $1,867,649, over this year's $33,561,243.
"This is using our operating funds, revolving revenue or grant revenue. So what made up the budget for the tentative budget is pretty much the same," Director of Finance and Operations Gregory Boino said.
"We're just moving around funds … so, we're using more of the FY25 rural aid funds instead of operating funds next year."
Increases the district has in the FY25 operating budget are from active employee health insurance, retiree health insurance, special education out-of-district tuition, temporary bond principal and interest payment, pupil transportation, Berkshire County Retirement contributions, and the federal payroll tax.
The students have also been able to build friendships and experience new things, such as dancing for community events, taking a trip to Ireland and participating in competitions.
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Independent Connections officially unveiled its Massachusetts branch on Thursdsay with a ribbon cutting. The IT solutions company's specializations include consulting, cloud computing, and cybersecurity.
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Taylor Garabedian scored a team-high 22 points and grabbed five rebounds, and Abby Scialabba scored 16 points for the ‘Canes, who got 16 points, nine rebounds and four assists from Ashlyn Lesure. click for more