Berkshire Schools Awarded Early College Grants | 07:00AM / Wednesday, February 04, 2026 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Pittsfield Public Schools, Berkshire Community College, Southern Berkshire Public Schools, and Lee Public Schools were awarded funds to support partnerships between high schools and institutions of higher education. Governor Maura Healey announced the goal of enrolling 100,000 Early College students by 2036, the administration today is awarding $8.2 million in designated Early College grants that will support an additional 44 new partnerships between high schools and institutions of higher education. Early College allows high school students to take college classes and earn college credit at no cost to them or their families. In >> Read More |
Pittsfield School Committee Requests Redacted PHS ReportBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
04:30PM / Saturday, January 31, 2026 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The School Committee and City Council have requested a redacted report of the Pittsfield High School investigation that concluded last spring.
On Wednesday, the committee approved member Ciara Batory's request to release the PHS investigative report with proper redactions by Feb. 18. The previous day, City Council members made the same request, but left the deadline up to the School Committee. Five past and present PHS staff members were investigated for alleged misconduct, and allegations were found to be "unsupported," according to executive summaries released by the former committee.
"The fact that the City Council
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Taconic High Speaker Booted for Passing Out 'Political Material'Staff Reports ,
04:20PM / Friday, January 30, 2026 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A guest speaker at Taconic High School was escorted out of the building after school officials said they passed around unapproved political material. Principal Matthew Bishop sent out an email and voice message to the school community explaining some of what happened. The event was an approved community outreach activity to write letters to veterans. The principal said the guest speaker had provided officials with the materials to be used for the activity, which were reviewed and approved. "However, the guest speaker began distributing politically motivated materials that were not previously approved," Bishop said. >> Read More |
Pittsfield Schools See 'Very Modest' Chapter 70 IncreaseBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
06:01AM / Friday, January 30, 2026 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Pittsfield Public Schools will see a "very modest" increase in Chapter 70 funding for fiscal year 2027, and administrators are working to calculate exactly what that will mean.
Gov. Maura Healey filed a nearly $63 billion budget on Wednesday that increases the city's school funding by $404,000. The Pittsfield schools dropped into a lower Chapter 70 funding category because it has fewer students considered low income.
This year's expected Chapter 70 aid is just over $68.8 million. In FY26, the district received $68,450,361. "While the FY27 budget reflects a modest increase over last year's budget, anticipated rising
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BCC Holds First Workforce Programs Graduation By Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
06:03PM / Thursday, January 29, 2026 | |
Keynote speaker Michael Obasohan, chief diversity officer for Pittsfield, encouraged the graduates to be 'uncomfortable' as a way to grow. PITTSFIELD, Mass.— During Berkshire Community College's inaugural Workforce and Community Education graduation, scholars were asked, "Will you stay comfortable or will you grow?"
In the fall, 55 students completed training for careers such as emergency medical technician, phlebotomist, paraeducator, registered behavior technician, and community health worker. Their work was celebrated on Wednesday night in the college's Boland Theater.
Keynote speaker Michael Obasohan, Pittsfield's chief diversity
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Part II: Matching Vocational Programs to Workforce NeedsBy John Townes, Special to iBerkshires
02:36PM / Wednesday, January 28, 2026 | |
 In Massachusetts, Career Technical Education Chapter 74 programs are based on a framework of employment preparation. In addition to the core academic curricula required of all high school graduates, Chapter 74 programs include specific skills and career training in a variety of industries and specific jobs, ranging from agriculture to manufacturing to computer graphics to health care, among others. The guidelines for Chapter 74 programs include immersive learning time, co-operative education in partnership with local employers, and opportunities to earn high-value industry credentials, such as professional certifications and adjacent >> Read More |
BCC Holds Pinning Ceremony for Nursing Graduates| 11:24AM / Monday, January 26, 2026 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass — Berkshire Community College (BCC) held a traditional pinning ceremony for 32 graduates of the Associate Degree in Nursing (ADN) Program on Thursday, Jan. 15 at the Robert Boland Theatre on the main campus. The wearing of the school pin symbolizes the right to serve others, signifying the acceptance of the responsibilities of the practice of nursing and the educational preparation of the wearer. The ceremony is a time-honored nursing school tradition dating to the turn of the twentieth century. The gold center of the pin features the college seal, including the words "To travel hopefully." Four graduates received awards: Rachel >> Read More |
Pittsfield School Board See Update on Middle School RestructuringBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:24AM / Wednesday, January 21, 2026 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Wheels are moving on the Pittsfield Public Schools plan to realign the middle schools in the fall.
Last week, the School Committee received updates on the transition to an upper elementary and junior high school model in September, with Grades 5 and 6 attending Herberg Middle School and Grades 7 and 8 attending Reid Middle School.
"This is an equity strategy that was started maybe a year ago, a year and a half ago, that we’ve been working towards to ensure that every intermediate and middle school student has access to equitable educational opportunities," Interim Superintendent Latifah Phillips said.
"I know that there
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BCC to Offer Free Advanced Basic Computer Training Course| 07:34AM / Monday, January 19, 2026 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Workforce and Community Education Department at Berkshire Community College (BCC) will offer an Advanced Basic Computer Training course on Mondays and Wednesdays from 5:30-8:30 p.m., Feb. 23 – April 1, 2026. Designed for adults eager to advance their careers, this hands-on course is intended only for learners who already have basic computer knowledge. If you can comfortably use a computer and are ready to build on that foundation, this class will help students master essential digital office skills in Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint and >> Read More |
Pittsfield School Committee Sees Budget Calendar, Chapter 70 ConcernsBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:28AM / Monday, January 19, 2026 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Pittsfield Public Schools kicked off its fiscal year 2027 budget calendar, and are again facing uncertainties with state Chapter 70 funding.
During the first meeting of the new term on Wednesday, the School Committee OK'd an FY27 budget calendar that plans the committee's vote in mid-April. Interim Superintendent Latifah Phillips stressed the importance of equity in this process.
"It's really important for us through these next couple of months to look at our different schools, our different needs, different student demographics, and really understand, are we just assigning resources equally, or are we really assigning them based
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