Letter: MCLA Homeless Shelter Should Have Had Public Input

Letter to the Editor03:30PM / Wednesday, May 24, 2023Print Story | Email Story

To the Editor:

I question MCLA's President Birge's commitment to education and to our North Berkshire community.

"… the historic public purpose of American higher education is to respond to the needs and demands of society." President Jamie Birge, WAMC 5/10/2023

The problem of the poor and unhoused is a symptom of a decline in democratic values and income inequality. A simple change in the earned income tax credit was able to cut child poverty by about 46 percent in just a few months.

Massachusetts needs more than 200,000 new homes in order to start addressing the housing crisis. What is stopping Massachusetts from building these homes? Powerful interests who do not have a modicum of decency prevent democratic actions to address our problems. Democracy means participation and engagement. It requires leaders to inspire open and respectful dialogue to address the needs of the people.

In 2014, North Adams Regional Hospital was closed with three days notice with no public hearing. Shortly after the hospital closing, the state closed our North Adams welfare office and our North Adams employment office with no public hearing.

In order to respond to our community's needs and demands, President Birge should have held public meetings and panel discussions on the proposed emergency shelter and its effects on the future of the college and our community. The college could have educated the community about the crisis and provided a forum for an informed and respectful discussion.

Instead President Birge chose to keep his own counsel and avoided an encounter with the public. He acted as if it was his decision alone and failed to include the community input.

Our society is suffering from people who act like autocrats and reject the democratic process of inclusion. There is still time for the college to provide the leadership in an open and inclusive educational forum that addresses the needs of the poor and unsheltered.

Richard Dassatti
North Adams, Mass.

Tags: homeless,

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NBSU Committee Open to Discussing Apportionment Changes

By Tammy Daniels iBerkshires Staff
05:12AM / Friday, January 16, 2026

CLARKSBURG, Mass. — Clarksburg's partners in the North Berkshire School Union agreed to take a look at the assessment structure for the union's administration and the union agreement.

Town and school officials have questioned Clarksburg's share of administration costs, which is now more than 50 percent.

Select Board Chair Daniel Haskins presented the "super" NBSU School Committee last week with a proposal of a base contribution of 10 percent for each district except for Monroe, which would be 5 percent, and then a ratio based on enrollment.

"Over my four years on the Select Board, I've observed a steady increase in presented percentage that Clarksburg contributes to the North Berkshire School Union as our student enrollment has grown," he said. "The reason behind this proposed adjustment is straightforward: The North Berkshire School Union provides services for all member towns. These include oversight of the principals, management of school facilities, food services and special education programs."

He also pointed to the state reporting and reviews, preparation of school budgets, and meeting attendance.

"For example, the union is not attending five times as many school committee meetings for Clarksburg as it is for Savoy, nor is it overseeing three additional principals for Florida," he said. "While I fully acknowledge that the NBSU staff does spend more time on Clarksburg-related matters than those of the smaller towns, it is worth asking whether the current ratios accurately reflect the difference."

The five towns of Clarksburg, Florida, Monroe, Rowe and Savoy share the services of central office that includes the superintendent, assistant/special education director, information technology director, business administrator, support staff, supplies and rent and utilities for the space in North Adams.

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