image description — The restructuring of grades at Herberg and Reid middle schools could also mean new names to connect their new school communities.

Pittsfield Middle School Restructuring Effort Nearing Checkpoint

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
12:49PM / Monday, November 17, 2025Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Action items are coming into focus as the middle school restructuring vote nears.

In December, the School Committee will decide whether to begin moving into an upper elementary and junior high model, with Grades 5-6 in one school and 7-8 in another, or to push it off another year. After running sandbox scenarios, the district transportation team found that the current two-tier transportation system would have to be changed to three tiers.

"It's looking like it would be high school and then middle school and then elementary, but they're running the scenarios to see what would the timetable look like," Superintendent Latifah Phillips recently reported.

"How much time would there be in between the high school start and the elementary start time? And where would the middle school drop off look like?"

Based on her experience with other school districts, Phillips said high schools are usually dropped off earlier to coordinate with sports and after-school programs.

Over the summer, the School Committee voted to create an upper elementary school for Grades 5-6 and a junior high school for Grades 7-8 by the 2026-2027 academic year. A stipulation was added that if goals in the Middle School Restructuring Committee's timeline are not met by the December meeting, it will be delayed one year.

The committee then decided that Herberg will house Grades 5-6 and Reid will be home to Grades 7-8 when the middle schools restructure.

The working group had site visits in Chelmsford and Westfield, where they observed the facilities, educational models, and culture of schools that have restructured in similar ways. It recommended not putting it off another year because "it's what's best for 5th-6th-grade students."

The Pittsfield Public Schools have held an introductory advisory group meeting with families, and are working to schedule school-based meetings, rebuild the middle school restructuring website, finalize a newsletter and FAQ sheet, and offer drop-in hours for staff.

"November really is the month for feedback communication, so that we can put our best recommendation forward next month," Phillips said.

Westfield shared that they rebranded the two middle-level schools as a part of creating unity and rebuilding culture, working together to select new names, colors, and mascots. Naming is in the purview of the School Committee, and some members weighed in.

Committee member Daniel Elias pointed out that John T. Reid Middle School and Theodore Herberg Middle School were named after individuals, "So I think it should go through a complete process."

Sara Hathaway said if there was a community consensus in favor of name changes, she would agree.

"I like the idea of a fresh start, and I think that's that goes along with what we're trying to achieve with the reorganization, and it also gives the students a chance to learn what is an appropriate name," she said, pointing to plants in the area that could offer good names.

She also suggested that the Stockbridge-Munsee Community be consulted to help choose a name that honors the area's heritage.

"I'm in favor of it, and I do agree that it should go through the full process with input from the community, and if people really like the old names, I'm not opposed to that," Hathaway said.

Working groups are coming to a conclusion on the instructional model recommendations, and Chair William Cameron emphasized the importance of having robust opportunities to attract and retain students.

"I'm not going to sit here and prescribe what those ought to be, but if we don't wind up with a curriculum that will challenge all students to work to the best of their abilities, students who need additional help and support, students who could be accelerated. If we don't have those programs, I don't think we're going to get very many people coming back," he said.

"So I say that not because I don't think we're making any progress on this, but it's something I really think needs to be in the forefront. We could reorganize, play 52 pick up with the school district, if we don't do something that's going to offer greater challenges and intellectual and social opportunities for students, this is not really going to be a very worthwhile exercise."

Tags: grade reconfiguration,

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Lanesborough Property Tax Rate Up 5%

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
01:25PM / Wednesday, November 11, 2026

LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — The Select Board on Monday approved a single tax rate that will increase the average homeowner's property bill by at least $670.

With a rate of $18.20 per $1,000 valuation, the average single-family home valued at $373,784 will see a $668 increase, and the average commercial property, estimated at a value of $577,990, will increase by $1,125 per year. This rate is 91 cents higher than last year's $17.29 per $1,000 valuation.

"Historically, as part of their annual budget policy, the Select Board and Finance Committee has endorsed a single tax rate option, providing no exemption or discount to a particular property class or group, voting a residential factor of one, which is what we'll do tonight, affirms a single tax rate and proportionate sharing of the tax levy burden between all classes of property," Principal Assessor Ross Vivori explained during the joint meeting with the Finance Committee and Board of Assessors.

This year's levy is $11,760,845, which is a 11.28 percent increase from last year, or $1,192,521.

The town's total taxable value is $648,200,324; about $541 million in residential, almost $9 million in industrial, about $52 million in commercial, and about $44 million in personal property. It is 5.7 percent higher than the previous year.

For fiscal 2027 the max allowable levy is $12,313,803, the town is levying $11,760,845, leaving an excess levy capacity of $552,957. There was more than $6.5 million in new growth, which was described as contributing about $112,855 in tax revenue at the prior year's rate.

Finance Committee member Al Terranova suggested that the rate may change if revenues, such as from the state, changed.

"I just don't want people to look at this and, 'Oh my goodness, I'm going to pay $600 more a year,'" he said. "They would just pick out that one number, because you don't know what the actual number is."

Select Board Chair Deborah Maynard said all the figures are based on the tax recapitulation sheet, which includes estimated revenues and state cherry sheet numbers.

"But there's no way around that, that's the number we're paying," added Select Board member Jason A. Breault. "That's the tax rate."

Ross said property values are rising because people are paying more for homes, but that's not driving the tax rate — town spending is.

"If the [property] value goes up and nothing else changes, the tax rate stays the same," he said. "What's driving the tax rate up is the budget ... everything's gone up and you've got raise the money to operate the town. It is what it is."

In better news, the board accepted what Accountant Angela Garrity agreed was a "healthy" amount of free cash at $949,833.

The board also heard from the public about putting a moratorium on data centers and battery storage facilities at its next meeting as well as Old State Road residents asking about the speed bump removed at the intersection of Target and Old State Road.

The residents said two years ago they had asked for the speed bump and were wondering why they were not warned it was being removed.

The three people said they were afraid to cross the street for their mailbox or walk their dogs. They also said it is very hard for them to leave their driveway at the intersection.

The Select Board could not respond during public comment, but at its last meeting, it decided to remove the speed bump based on information from police that it was "useless" as a deterrent and from Emergency Medical Services Director Jen Weber that it was dangerous when transporting patients.

An ad hoc committee with Weber and Police Chief Robert Derksen and board members Breault and Jeff Walters to discuss the best options on reduce speeding in some areas. Maynard reminded people that community members wanting to serve are being asked to submit citizens' interest form with the town.

Lastly, Alison Dixon from Berkshire Regional Planning Commission and Berkshire Environmental Action Team's Executive Director Brittany Ebeling presented two Municipal Vulnerability Preparedness action grant projects.

One project is the road stream crossing prioritization and assessment program for town-owned bridges and culverts to prioritize crossing replacements. Dixon explained that undersized culverts were identified as a vulnerability in the town's MVP and hazard and mitigation plan. The project is expected to span two years and will notify nearby landowners before field crews work around culverts and bridges. Community members were also invited to share knowledge about crossings they believe have been problematic.

The second project will cover ghost dams. BEAT and BRPC will be working with watershed organizations and a youth team from Greenagers over the next two years locating and documenting unmapped, human-made dams, also called ghost dams, which may pose flood risks. The goal is to create a Berkshires-wide map and connect towns and landowners with information and resources for flood-resilience planning.

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