Governor Offering Grants to Support Students with Disabilities

08:59AM / Saturday, July 26, 2025Print Story | Email Story

BOSTON — The Healey-Driscoll Administration announced it is opening applications for public colleges and universities to apply for $180,000 in grant funding to support students with disabilities participating in Massachusetts Inclusive Postsecondary Education (MAIPSE) programs.

MAIPSE enables certain students with severe disabilities to take part in undergraduate academic courses, extracurricular activities, internships, work experiences, and on campus student life activities.

Higher education institutions can apply for MAIPSE planning or implementation grants and can use the funding for a variety of program supports, including student transportation costs, technology costs to ensure students have full access to curriculum, textbooks and coursework materials, consultants like employment specialists and peer mentors, training supplies, and staff salaries.

"These grants will lift barriers for students with disabilities, enabling learners to experience college, whether it’s in a classroom, through an internship or as part of a campus club," said Education Secretary Dr. Patrick Tutwiler. "Through MAIPSE, we are committed to supporting the development of more high-quality, inclusive programs so students of all abilities have access to the transformational opportunities of going to college."

In April, the Board of Higher Education unanimously approved the administration’s proposed state regulations that established MAIPSE. MAIPSE aims to improve inclusive access to post-secondary educational opportunities for students ages 18 and over with severe disabilities who are otherwise not able to achieve the underlying competency determinations needed to secure a high school diploma, including students with intellectual disabilities, severe autism spectrum disorder, and severe developmental disabilities.

All Massachusetts public community colleges, universities, and members of the University of Massachusetts system that have previously been awarded planning grant funding for an inclusive postsecondary program may apply for an implementation grant. Applications must be submitted online by July 31, 2025. Institutions can also apply for planning grants.

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Pittsfield Schools Schedule Morningside, Budget Hearings This Week

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
05:23AM / Monday, April 06, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The School Committee will hold another public hearing for the potential closure of Morningside Community School.

On Thursday, April 9, at 6 p.m., community members will have the chance to give feedback in the Reid Middle School library. Last month, the Pittsfield Public Schools announced the possible closure of Morningside, which serves elementary grades, for the 2026-2027 school year and redistribution of its students to other city schools.

In the last couple of weeks, the district has solicited input from employees and community members through meetings at the school.

Morningside Community School was built in the mid-1970s with an open classroom concept. Morningside serves about 374 students and has a 7 percent accountability score, outperformed by 93 percent of the state.

For fiscal year 2027, the district has allocated about $5.2 million for the school. The committee has also requested a version of the proposed $87.2 million district budget with Morningside closed.

Pittsfield has another open concept school, Conte Community School, that is planned to consolidate with Crosby Elementary School, and possibly Stearns Elementary School, in a new building on the Crosby site by 2030. The status of the project's owner's project manager will be discussed on Tuesday, April 7, at 5 p.m. at Taconic High School during the School Building Needs Commission meeting.

That leaves the school officials wondering if Morningside students could have better educational outcomes if resources followed them to other nearby schools. Interim Superintendent Latifah Phillips has stressed that a decision has not yet been made.

Considerations for the school’s closure include: The feasibility of the facility to provide a conducive teaching and learning environment with an open campus design, the funding allocation needed to ensure Morningside students can have equitable learning opportunities, and declining enrollment across Pittsfield elementary schools.