Pittsfield Sees Rise in Potential School Committee Candidates

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Interest for a seat on the School Committee has boomed as the community continues to ask for more answers on the Pittsfield High School investigation.

Ciara Batory, who filed a public records request that resulted in the secretary of state's office ordering the release of non-exempt parts of Bulkley Richardson & Gelinas' investigation into alleged staff wrongdoing, has taken out papers to represent the Pittsfield Public Schools.

Earlier this month, she filed a second appeal after the School Committee sent the report to the Supervisor of Records, Manza Arthur, for an in-camera review.

"The Pittsfield Public Schools have claimed exemption under M.G.L. c. 4, § 7(26)(c), citing personnel privacy. However, the allegations in question involve matters of public concern, use of public taxpayer funds, and issues that directly impact student safety — a point that overrides routine personnel privacy under Massachusetts law, especially when misconduct is involved," Batory wrote in a press statement on May 6.

"This is not just about documents. This is about the safety and well-being of 4,900 children in the Pittsfield Public School system. When serious allegations are swept under the rug in the name of 'privacy,' and the public is left in the dark, trust is destroyed. This School Committee has made it clear: protecting their own is more important than protecting our children."

Nomination papers became available on April 3, and certified papers are due by Aug. 1. A preliminary election will narrow the race down on Sept. 16 if a position has more than two candidates, or nine for at-large councilor.

A couple of former faces on the committee have also taken out papers: Vicky Mashek Smith and  Katherine Yon, who served four terms on the committee, including as chair. 

Megan Arvin, who organized the Pittsfield People's March in January, Carolyn L. Barry and Kelly Ott have also taken out papers. The new candidates join incumbents Daniel Elias and Sara Hathaway, and newcomers Geoffrey Buerger, Jacob Klein, and Sarah Muil.

There is a total of 11 interested candidates so far for the six-person committee.

Nonprofit Center of the Berkshires Honors Leaders, Volunteers

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
09:07AM / Sunday, May 24, 2026

Liana Toscanini presented the Founder's Choice Award to Smitty Pignatelli for his years of support as state representative. 

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Nonprofit Center of the Berkshires held its ninth annual nonprofit awards last week honoring the contributions of those who have helped the community in their own way.

 

The gathering at the Country Club in Pittsfield on Tuesday included the introduction of new nonprofit Executive Director Samantha Anderson, who steps in for retiring founder and director Liana Toscanini. State Reps. Tricia Farley-Bouvier, John Barrett III and Leigh Davis attended the event.

 

Toscanini, who created NPC in 2016, was honored at the conclusion of the evening to mark her decade leading the organization. 

 

"Founders don't just lead organizations, they are the organization in the deepest sense," said NPC Board President Emily Schiavoni. "Their relationships, their instincts, their fingerprints are on everything, and when someone has poured a decade of herself into building something from the ground up, the act of stepping back is not a simple handoff, it's an act of extraordinary trust and courage that brings me to what Leanna actually built." 

 

NPC became something of a chamber of commerce for nonprofits under Toscanini's guidance, creating a hub of support for leadership and networking for the small and large nonprofits that fuel much of the activity within the Berkshires. 

 

She developed more than two dozen programs, including Get on Board, which helps connect community members with nonprofit boards, and a giving-back guide, volunteer fairs, and a resource directory.

 

Schiavoni described Toscanini as a great mentor who has had a big impact in strengthening local nonprofits.