NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The working group for the Northern Berkshire Educational Collaborative last week approved a request for proposals to study secondary education regional models.

 

The members on Tuesday fine-tuned the RFP and set a date of Tuesday, Jan. 20, at 4 p.m. to submit bids. The bids must be paper documents and will be accepted at the Northern Berkshire School Union offices on Union Street.

 

Some members had penned in the first week of January but Timothy Callahan, superintendent for the North Adams schools, thought that wasn't enough time, especially over the holidays.

 

"I think that's too short of a window if you really want bids," he said. "This is a pretty substantial topic."

 

That topic is to look at the high school education models in North County and make recommendations to a collaboration between Hoosac Valley Regional and Mount Greylock Regional School Districts, the North Adams Public Schools and the town school districts making up the Northern Berkshire School Union. 

 

The study is being driven by rising costs and dropping enrollment among the three high schools. NBSU's elementary schools go up to Grade 6 or 8 and tuition their students into the local high schools. 

 

The feasibility study of a possible consolidation or collaboration in Grades 7 through 12 is being funded through a $100,000 earmark from the Fair Share Act and is expected to look at academics, faculty, transportation, legal and governance issues, and finances, among other areas. 

 

This had the working group extending the initial timeline of six months to up to 12. Arleigh Cooper of Savoy, chair of the NBSU committee, thought the short deadline would deter bidders and Callahan agreed.

 

"I feel like I really feel strongly on this. I think 12 months is a much more reasonable time frame that we should advocate for," Callahan said. "This implies that we want it in six months, and I think that harms the whole project."

 

The group did layout expectations, beginning with community engagement and data collection in the first months and draft recommendations and final reports and presentations in the final months. 

 

Community engagement will be an important factor in the timeline. 

 

NBSU Superintendent John Franzoni noted for reference, the two most recent studies that were completed. Southern Berkshire and Berkshire Hills Regional School Districts had sought to merge their eight communities two years ago but this was shot down. 

 

By contrast, the Mohawk Trail and Hawlemont regional districts are pursuing plans for a combined campus through the Massachusetts School Building Authority after a two-year study. 

 

"The community engagement is the reason why the Mohawk one is gone further and more successful, I think, at this point, because of how involved they are on community," Franzoni said. "It's all open process, and it's kind of reasonable. We're doing these meetings open right now because it's proven to be successful."

 

Community engagement is 25 percent of the evaluation criteria for applicants; they will also be rated on past performance (20 percent), skills and qualifications (45 percent) and cost and value (10 percent).

 

The consultant chosen will be expected to develop four sustainability scenarios such as shared services or regionalization. 

 

The working group, consisting of school committee members as voting members and superintendents as advisors, will not select the consultant. 

 

That will be up to a newly formed steering committee that will see the project through the yearlong timeline. Each of the participating districts will provide four voting members consisting of elected officials and/or community members.

 

But there is a question whether the earmark will be enough. 

 

"When we get the proposals, we're going to find out, well, money gets us most of the way there," said Hoosac Valley Superintendent Aaron Dean. "I guess we'll have two options. Do we cut back the scope, or do we look for other funding service? Those are things that we're going to have to make decisions on."

 

Franzoni said he had spoken to state Rep. John Barrett III, who had obtained the $100,000 earmark. 

 

"He was confident there was going to be some options next fiscal year for more funding," he said.