Hoosac Valley Prepares for Budget Cuts in Fiscal 2026

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."

Adams Open Space Plan Nears Completion Following Community Input

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
05:23AM / Monday, May 11, 2026

The final forum was held at the Greylock Glen Outdoor Center.

ADAMS, Mass. — The Open Space and Recreation plan is nearly complete after months of development and community input. 

 

After reviewing the 2019 plan, collecting feedback from a survey of 291 residents, holding three rounds of forums, and making multiple revisions, the OSRP committee narrowed this iteration of the plan to four main goals.

 

The plan acts as a "roadmap" for the town with goals and action items that preserve and improve lands and recreation assets, documents community priorities, and positions Adams for state grant eligibility, said Seth Jenkins, Berkshire Regional Planning Commission senior community planner at the third and final meeting on Earth Day last month at the Greylock Glen Outdoor Center.

 

The document also serves as an example for community members to show that they are always trying to make the town a better place and they are hearing them out. 

 

The document also serves as a way to show residents that officials are continually working to make the town a better place and are actively listening to community feedback, said Matt Burdick, OSRP member, Conservation Commissioner, and state Department of Conservation and Recreation employee. 

 

"Everyone in Adams had a chance to fill out the survey, they could have come up here. They could all put their feedback in. It's not just like one group gets to choose what happens for everyone. We listen to everybody's input. That's a big community thing," he said.

 

The goals presented were: 

• develop and maintain multi-use and multi-generational recreational opportunities,
• protect, manage, and promote natural attractions and conservation areas,
• protect, promote, and manage historic, agricultural, and cultural resources, 
• explore, encourage, and enhance connectivity and communication within the town and to neighboring communities. 

The document will be available on the town website once approved by the state and will go before the Select Board for endorsement.