Berkshire Schools Awarded Early College Program Grants

08:22AM / Wednesday, January 08, 2025Print Story | Email Story

BOSTON — Bard College at Simon's Rock was awarded a $60,000 Early College Capacity Grant and Pittsfield High School and Taconic were both awarded $50,000 Early College Planning Grants with Berkshire Community College.

The Healey-Driscoll Administration announced that it is awarding $8 million in designated Early College grants to allow high school students to take college classes and earn college credit at no cost to them or their families. These funds will be

used to support schools and higher education institutions as they design new Early College programs, as well as expand existing programs to provide an estimated additional 2,300 seats, increase staffing and recruitment, and provide professional development. Early college programs are a key part of the administration's "Reimagining High School" initiative, ensuring Massachusetts students are prepared for college or careers when they graduate high school.

"Early College programs are great for our students and great for our economy. They allow students to get college credit while they're still in high school at no cost, making it more affordable for them to get their degree and preparing them to succeed in their careers," said Governor Maura Healey. "We're also strengthening our workforce by helping students graduate with the skills that are in demand by employers today. We're proud to be expanding Early College to more schools than ever."

The administration continues to expand designated Early College programs, increasing the number of students participating by nearly 2,000 since school year 2022-2023, a 31 percent increase. Further, the administration designated 16 new Early College program partnerships over the last two years. Over 9,000 students are expected to be supported this school year, stated a press release.

Massachusetts prioritizes participation by students historically underrepresented in higher education. The state's 12th

grade early college participants are majority Black and Latino and evenly split between low-income and non-low-income students. Early college participation increases college enrollment for all racial groups, but makes the biggest difference for Latino students who historically have been the least likely to matriculate to college, continued a press release.

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Possible Measles Exposure at Boston, Logan

12:05PM / Wednesday, December 24, 2025

BOSTON — The Massachusetts Department of Public Health confirmed Wednesday that an out-of-state adult visitor who spent time in Boston and Westborough earlier this month was diagnosed with measles and was present in a number of locations.

This could have resulted in other people being exposed to measles virus.

The visitor arrived at Logan International Airport on American Airlines flight 2384 from Dallas-Fort Worth, Texas, on Dec. 11 at 2:39 p.m. They stayed at the DoubleTree by Hilton Hotel Boston-Westborough in Westborough and departed the state on Dec. 12 via Logan at 9:19 p.m. on JetBlue flight 117 to Las Vegas.

DPH is working with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and local partners to identify and notify those who may have been exposed to measles from this individual.

"Measles is a highly contagious, airborne disease, which has increased significantly in the United States because of the unfortunate decrease in vaccination rates. It is also a preventable disease," said Public Health Commissioner Dr. Robbie Goldstein. "This current situation serves as an important reminder of the critical role vaccination plays in protecting our communities. While Massachusetts has not had a measles case this year, 2025 saw the highest number of nationwide cases in more than a decade — nearly 2,000 in 44 jurisdictions, and sadly, three deaths.

"Fifteen years ago, measles had been considered eliminated in the United States, but that tremendous progress is at risk. Vaccines are one of the most important public health interventions ever — they are safe, effective, and lifesaving."

Measles is very contagious. However, the risk to most people in Massachusetts is low because the vaccination rate in the state is high. People who are not immune and visited any of the locations on the following dates and times may be at risk for developing measles.

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