New Pittsfield City Council, School Committee Meets
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The new City Council and School Committee met for the first time last week, and were met with some hope from the public.
The council is largely the same as the last term, with Cameron Cunningham now representing Ward 2 and Kathy Moody Ward 7. On the other hand, the School Committee is all new aside from longtime member Daniel Elias.
Resident Paul Gregory, a regular at public comment, told the council, "I stand here tonight, I'm excited. I'm not complaining." Gregory said that with challenges come opportunities, and he is confident that the elected officials are up for it.
"I'm really, really looking forward to the leadership and the roles that each of you will play in order to bring out the best that Pittsfield is and can be," he said.
"We need to stress our values as a city. We need to recognize and identify why people should live in this city and what opportunities there are both for entertainment, for employment, and for activities."
Councilor at Large Earl Persip III was elected council president during the inauguration ceremony earlier this month, and Mayor Peter Marchetti was elected to chair the School Committee. During the committee's meeting on Wednesday, Marchetti noted that this would be the last time "communication by the chair" will be placed on the agenda because he will deliver comments as other members do.
United Educators of Pittsfield President Jeanne Lemmond, also offered well wishes to the School Committee.
"It's going to be an interesting time working with so many new faces, and the UEP is looking forward to a very positive working relationship with you as we go into negotiations and any other business that we bring forward to you," she said.
Gregory, who also addressed the School Committee, hopes they work collaboratively to support each other, especially with the district's "ambitious" efforts to restructure the middle school levels and build a new school in the West Side.
"The message of promise is something that you, as a community, not necessarily cause and create, but it's something you inherited. That promise was based on trust and transparency. We have unfinished business in this city that I hear about pretty frequently by people who encounter me and know that I come here and speak," he added.
"We have unfinished business as it relates to the conduct of the Pittsfield Public Schools. It needs to be taken care of, and I trust that each and every one of you will search within yourself and make the appropriate decision."
The district launched a more than $150,000 investigation at the end of 2024 after a Pittsfield High School dean of students, Lavante Wiggins, was arrested and charged by the U.S. Attorney's Office for allegedly conspiring to traffic large quantities of cocaine in Western Massachusetts.
Allegations of staff misconduct soon surfaced on social media, and three PHS administrators and two teachers, past and present, were investigated by Bulkley Richardson and Gelinas LLP at the request of the School Committee.
The public was provided information on the case through five executive summaries that largely found the allegations unsupported. The final executive summary released in May was unable to conclude that an administrator shared a nude image with students on social media.
New School Committee member Ciara Batory has said she ran because of a lack of transparency regarding the report. On inauguration day, she reported that she will be submitting an agenda item regarding the PHS investigation report that aims to rebuild trust.
A resident also brought forward concerns about traffic on Appleton Avenue when students are released at PHS.
Brenda Coddington said she was hit by another vehicle while waiting to pick up her granddaughter on the street just before Christmas, and that if it had been two minutes later, her granddaughter would have gotten hit while getting in the car.
"I personally know two other incidents that have taken place in the past year. A friend of mine had extensive damage to her vehicle sitting out front of PHS, and there was even an incident with a city bus hitting a PHS bus parked there as well," she said.
"I used to have my granddaughters meet me at Dunkin Donuts, but since one of her friends got hit crossing East Street, that's not an option either. Cars are parked all over both sides of the road, on Appleton, even in the handicapped parking spot, so the vans cannot pull in there, and sometimes also in the bus lanes. Cars fly through there. Not only do I see cars parked there, and I cringe because buses and cars are so close to your vehicle trying to get through, but I've seen teachers and kids trying to cross the crosswalks there, and they've almost got hit as well."
Coddington recognized that there are issues with school pickup lines, but said parents and even some school employees have said that Appleton Avenue is the worst. To park in front of the school, she said, you have to get there more than an hour early and stick out on East Street.
