Pittsfield Closes Taconic, Reid Because of Staff Shortages

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Taconic High School and Reid Middle School will be closed on Thursday, Jan. 6, and Friday, Jan. 7, because the schools do not have enough staff to open. Both schools are anticipated to reopen on Monday but families will be notified by Sunday.

Superintendent Joseph Curtis had cautioned on Wednesday that school closures could happen because of the recent surge in COVID-19 cases.

He sent out a video and written communication to Pittsfield Public School families announcing that the current, historically high case counts could eventually warrant the closure of one, many, or all schools.

There is no set metric for school closure but the cases have been rising daily.

"As you know, we provide a COVID-19 case count report, which currently shows 108 active students and staff cases, this is one of the highest number of cases that our school system has on record since the beginning of the pandemic," Curtis said on Wednesday.

"Like many of our surrounding districts, along with school districts across the nation, we have been short-staffed in some areas since the start of the 2021-2022 school year. In some schools, staff shortages are approaching a level that could interfere with our ability to safely supervise students."

The district's surge mirrors the one happening in Pittsfield, which currently has 591 estimated actively contagious cases and a case rate of 159.9 per 100,000 people.

On Wednesday, the state reported 292 new cases for the county, a record daily number since the start of the pandemic in March 2020.

"The most recent rise in COVID-19 cases after the December vacation could cause a school-specific or district circumstance that makes it necessary to close one school, multiple schools, or the entire district," He said.

"There is no threshold or number that drives a decision to close, rather an analysis of each school’s staffing levels and the ability to operate school safely. Principals are maintaining a staffing level spreadsheet throughout each day and night that I and other district leaders are watching closely.  Principals that have staffing levels of concern communicate with me each night and early morning."

The state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education is resisting calls for returning to remote learning. State officials say schools will be provided with the supplies and testing kits they need to stay open. However, rising case counts and staffing shortages for quarantines are putting pressure on schools. In North Adams, school officials on Tuesday said the system is "on the edge" of not being able to provide supervision to keep kids in class. 

The Pittsfield Board of Health was expected to have a routine COVID-19 update from Director of Public Health Andy Cambi and discuss the city's masking directive but the meeting, to be held in person, was canceled. It would have been the first since the post-holiday surge.

Dalton Board Signs Off on Land Sale Over Residents' Objections

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
05:50AM / Tuesday, December 23, 2025

Residents demanded the right to speak but the agenda did not include public comment. Amy Musante holds a sign saying the town now as '$20,000 less for a police station.'

DALTON, Mass. — The Select Board signed the sale on the last of what had been known as the Bardin property Monday even as a handful of residents demanded the right to speak against the action. 

 

The quitclaim deed transfers the nine acres to Thomas and Esther Balardini, who purchased the two other parcels in Dalton. They were the third-highest bidders at $31,500. Despite this, the board awarded them the land in an effort to keep the property intact.

 

"It's going to be an ongoing battle but one I think that has to be fought [because of] the disregard for the taxpayers," said Dicken Crane, the high bidder at $51,510.

 

"If it was personal I would let it go, but this affects everyone and backing down is not in my nature." 

 

Crane had appealed to the board to accept his bid during two previous meetings. He and others opposed to accepting the lower bid say it cost the town $20,000. After the meeting, Crane said he will be filing a lawsuit and has a citizen's petition for the next town meeting with over 100 signatures. 

 

Three members of the board — Chair Robert Bishop Jr., John Boyle, and Marc Strout — attended the 10-minute meeting. Members Anthony Pagliarulo and Daniel Esko previously expressed their disapproval of the sale to the Balardinis. 

 

Pagliarulo voted against the sale but did sign the purchase-and-sale agreement earlier this month. His reasoning was the explanation by the town attorney during an executive session that, unlike procurement, where the board is required to accept the lowest bid for services, it does have some discretion when it comes to accepting bids in this instance.