Hoosac Valley Prepares for Budget Cuts in Fiscal 2026

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
05:26AM / Tuesday, February 11, 2025Print Story | Email Story

CHESHIRE, Mass.— The Hoosac Valley Regional School District is eying a 3 percent budget increase for total budget of $23.1 million for fiscal year 2026.

This would be an increase of $650,000. Adams and Cheshire would see a combined 2.7 percent raise in their contributions. Nearly a dozen positions will have to be reduced or consolidated hit that target.

"Every year we have a budget we have hard decisions," Superintendent Aaron Dean told the School Committee at Monday's meeting. "Some years are harder than others."

The FY26 budget discussion began on Monday night with a presentation of preliminary numbers. On Tuesday, the Audit and Evaluation subcommittee will pick up the conversation.

Dean recommended a target of $23.1 million. For a level service-funded budget, the spending plan would have to see a $1.3 million, or 5.8 percent, increase from FY25 to nearly $23.8 million.

"We know that's not realistic," the superintendent said.

"So we're going to have to look at the combination of changes and strategies around using other revenues that we have and consolidating certain areas."

This lower increase is said to reflect a combination of changes in state and local funding and would require the use of $350,000 in rural aid reductions but "creates reasonable growth in foundation revenue in line with minimum increases."

"I wish I had better news but we are talking consolidation and reductions," Dean said.

"We have some ideas in terms of that. We were talking probably about 10 positions districtwide that we're going to have to reduce in order to make the numbers work."

Under this calculation, Adams would see a 2.2 percent increase to its contribution, about $131,000, and Cheshire would see a nearly 3.6 percent increase, about $103,000. Assessments are based on enrollment percentage from each town. Together, they would contribute about $8.9 million, nearly $6 million from Adams and nearly $3 million from Cheshire.

The total FY25 revenue was nearly $22.5 million.

Last year, the district received more than $11.8 million in Chapter 70 funding. For FY26, it expects to receive more than $12.2 million, a 3.7 percent increase, as projected in the governor's budget.

The charter school tuition reimbursement is expected to decrease by about 30 percent, totaling about $210,000. It was explained that the district will receive an increase of more than $400,000 in Chapter 70 funding because fewer students are choosing to attend charter schools.

Tags: fiscal 2026, HVRSD_budget,

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Two T's Thrifting Moved to Park Street

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
12:07PM / Saturday, September 26, 2026

Owner Trisha Carlo said a persistent leak in her previous location forced her to close for 10 weeks.

ADAMS, Mass. — A local thrift store has settled into its new location on Park Street.

Two T's Thrifting was opened by Trisha Carlo in January. The name is a homage to her late partner, Tom Bradley, who died in 2022. She said they both loved thrifting together.

Carlo had opened at 64 Summer St. but in April had to close down for about 10 weeks because of a leak in the ceiling. Once the leak was thought to be fixed, she reopened only to have it happen again.

"I decided to vacate that area or location, and kind of put everything on hold for a little bit. I had moved everything out once it had started leaking, just because I didn't want anything to get moldy or ruined," she said. "And I was kind of a little discouraged when that happened, you know, because rent is so high in most places, and I was pretty established over there. I had repeat customers coming in. It was going really well. So then I didn't know what to do."

Then one day she was enjoying breakfast at the Daily Grind when the owner, Becky Duprat, said she should talk to Lea King, who had owned the Adams Boba Tea and Gift Shop but had decided to retire earlier this year.

"Leah is pro Adams, pro bringing businesses to the area, and she just wants everybody to do well with whatever they want to do business wise," Carlo said. "I did take over some of her inventory for her Adams merchandise. I figured I would keep that here for tourists or for the locals."

She was able reopen her shop in its new location in July.

"It's been fun, setting back up and getting to know a different crowd that's walking by," she said. "The foot traffic is a little better. Obviously, there's more traffic that passes by, but advertising is still a little bit of a challenge. But repeat customers have found us. I have people that come in on a Saturday that visit me every week."

Carlo has also been trying to support the community, including letting local students get community service hours at her store, giving donations to Remedy Hall in Williamstown and other places across the county, holding a school supply drive for local families, and is currently doing a 50/50 raffle for Brewsters, a thrift shop in North Adams that was wrecked by a pickup truck last month.

She is still an emergency medical technician in Pittsfield and coaches soccer and basketball for Hoosac Valley High School.

She does take donations for the store but only during business hours. You can contact her through the business Facebook page on what you would like to donate to see if she can take it or walk in. She is accepting taking winter clothing.

Her new space at 57 Park St. is open Tuesday through Friday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., Sunday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. She hopes to extend these hours in the future.

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