Pittsfield Public Schools Public Hearing on Proposed Middle Grade Restructuring

08:08AM / Tuesday, June 03, 2025Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Pursuant to School Committee Policy SC-64 Policy for Redistricting of Schools, which guarantees the community a formal opportunity to comment on any proposed change that affects school attendance zones, the Pittsfield Public Schools (PPS) School Committee will hold a public hearing on Wednesday, June 11, 2025, at 5:30 p.m.

The purpose of this hearing is to gather input from parents, students, staff, and other residents regarding a proposal to restructure middle?grade education into two grade spans: Grades 5–6 and Grades 7–8.

If approved, the plan would modify current school attendance zones, which now assign students to a middle school based strictly on home address.

Key Points of the Proposal

Grade Configuration:
- Grades 5–6 would be housed together to support the transition from elementary to middle school.
- Grades 7–8 would focus on preparing students for the academic and social demands of high school.
Attendance Zones: Current middle school boundaries would be eliminated, and all students would attend the designated Grade 5–6 school followed by the Grade 7–8 school, regardless of where they live.
- Educational Rationale: The reconfiguration aims to provide more targeted academic programming, age?appropriate social?emotional supports, and expanded elective options.

How to Participate

In?Person Testimony: Community members wishing to speak may sign up in the City Hall Chambers beginning at 5:15 p.m.
Livestream & Recording: The hearing will be livestreamed on Pittsfield Community Television (Channel 1302).

Next Steps

Following the public hearing, the School Committee will review all feedback and determine whether to move the proposal forward for a vote on June 25, 2025. Any approved changes would take effect during the 2025–2026 school year.

For more information, please visit https://www.pittsfield.net/en-US/middle-school-restructuring-c455a246

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Neal Tours Berkshire Innovation Center as Pittsfield's Tech Economy Grows

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
05:38PM / Thursday, October 15, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass. —Congressman Richard Neal visited the Berkshire Innovation Center Thursday to highlight $735,000 in federal funding secured for a new cybersecurity training and testing facility.

"The number one job of the federal government is to provide for the security of its people. I mean, we should never lose sight of that, whether it's China or Russia, every single day there are these belligerents that are attempting to infiltrate national security here in the United States, and we should not be naive about it," Neal said. "I mean, we can have an argument about proportionality; we can do a lot of different things, but not to miss the point of what they're trying to do every day."

The new cybersecurity facility will provide regional manufacturers and businesses with research and design equipment, specialized lab space, and training facilities and is planned to be housed in a to-be-redeveloped space across the street from the Berkshire Innovation Center (BIC), located at 45 Woodlawn Ave.

The derelict property, formerly owned by General Electric, is now known as the William Stanley Business Park.

The project is a $7.2 million dollar investment from the state, $5.2 million from the tech collaborative, $2 million from bond funding secured by Neal, and $1 million that will be split into two phases: $500,000 for BIC to begin building and $500,000 for Myrias Optics to start production in Pittsfield, said Mayor Peter Marchetti.

BIC Executive Director Ben Sosne said manufacturers often highlight the need for help with cybersecurity, particularly in meeting the security requirements necessary to conduct business with General Dynamics and other major contractors.

Collaborators in the field and the public sector have recognized the need that has only grown since technology has advanced and is a great career opportunity, Sosne said.

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