Pittsfield Interviewing 4 for Interim SuperintendentBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
04:36PM / Tuesday, May 06, 2025 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Four external candidates for Pittsfield's interim superintendent will be interviewed this week.
They are Roland Joyal Jr., Latifah Phillips, Robert Putnam, and Mary Jane Rickson. Outgoing Superintendent Joseph Curtis will step down on July 1 after 30 years with the district.
On Tuesday, School Committee Chair William Cameron reported via email that 11 applications were submitted to the Massachusetts Association of School Committees for the one-year interim superintendent position.
"The School Committee's Personnel & Negotiations Subcommittee has reviewed all the materials submitted to MASC by applicants," he wrote. "There were
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BCC to Hold Talk on State Fire Marshall History | 11:32AM / Monday, May 05, 2025 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass — Berkshire Community College (BCC)'s Fire Science Program welcomes guest speaker Joshua Stanley to present "The History of the Massachusetts State Fire Marshal's Office: Transforming Tragedy into Progress" on Tuesday, May 6 at 6 p.m. Local firefighters, BCC students and the public are invited to attend. The free talk will be held in Melville Hall, Room 317, located on BCC's main campus at 1350 West Street, Pittsfield. It will also be available online. To register for the Zoom session, visit www.berkshirecc.edu/fire-history. Shanley's presentation demonstrates how historic fires, explosions and building >> Read More |
Pittsfield School Committee Adopts $86M BudgetBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
02:48PM / Sunday, May 04, 2025 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Pittsfield Public School's budget for the upcoming fiscal year includes added communication supports and a special project manager.
The School Committee on Wednesday adopted a $86,450,361 budget for fiscal year 2026 that includes an $18 million city contribution and more than $68 million of anticipated Chapter 70 funding.
It is a $3,765,084 increase from this year. With $450,000 in school choice and Richmond tuition funds, it totals $86,900,361.
While the bottom line stayed the same, this iteration of the budget accommodates the School Committee's two requests, reallocating $20,000 for contracted communications services and $80,000 for a special project
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Commissioner of Higher Ed Speaking at BCC Commencement| 12:40PM / Sunday, May 04, 2025 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — State Commissioner of Higher Education Noe Ortega will be the keynote speaker for Berkshire Community College's 65th commencement at Tanglewood in Lenox on Friday, May 30, at 4:30 p.m. Ortega was sworn in as commissioner in 2022. He has led the Department of Higher Education through a time of historic investment by the state Legislature and Healey-Driscoll administration in affordability and access for all learners in the commonwealth. "We are truly excited to have Commissioner Ortega speak to our graduates this year," said BCC President Ellen Kennedy. "We know he has spent a lot of his career focused on access, especially for >> Read More |
Neal to Host 2025 Military Service Academy Day| 05:31PM / Friday, May 02, 2025 | |
SPRINGFIELD, Mass. — U.S. Rep. Richard E. Neal will host his 2025 Academy Day information session this Sunday, May 4. The event will take place at noon in the Davis Auditorium at the Springfield D'Amour Museum of Fine Arts, 21 Edwards St. This session will allow interested students to learn more about each of the service academies and determine whether a military service academy or a similar education path is a suitable choice for their future. Nominations by members of Congress or the vice president are required to attend the Military Academy at West Point and the Naval, Air Force and Merchant Marine academies. Candidates must also meet specific >> Read More |
Pittsfield School Officials Refer PHS Report to State Records SupervisorBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:59AM / Friday, May 02, 2025 | |
Mayor Peter Marchetti asks that the committee not discuss the report in executive session, as he felt it did not fall under OML exemptions. PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The state now controls what can and can't be released on the Pittsfield High School investigation.
On Wednesday, the School Committee voted to refer the investigative report to Manza Arthur, supervisor of records with the secretary of state's office, and ask her to return a proper redacted report to release to the public.
The Pittsfield Public Schools have been ordered to release non-exempt parts of Bulkley Richardson & Gelinas' investigation into alleged staff wrongdoing by May 8 after community advocate
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State Orders Release of Pittsfield High Investigation ReportBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
03:15PM / Monday, April 28, 2025 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — The Pittsfield Public Schools have been ordered to release non-exempt parts of the PHS investigation report by May 8 after a community advocate filed a public records request.
"Pittsfield residents deserve transparency when it comes to the actions of public officials within taxpayer-funded institutions," petitioner and Pittsfield resident Ciara Batory said in a press release on Monday.
"The community has a right to understand how serious issues are investigated and addressed. This decision is a win for every parent, student, and resident who believes in open, honest governance." Batory has children in the school system, she said,
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BCC Announces New Staff Members, Promotions | 04:21PM / Saturday, April 26, 2025 | |
 PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Community College (BCC) announces the addition of two new staff members and two promotions. Mary Budzn joins BCC as Alumni Relations and Philanthropy Manager. Originally from Cincinnati, OH, she earned her bachelor of fine arts degree in theatre arts from Boston University. A Lenox resident, she has lived in the Berkshires since 2018, when she moved to the area to work for Shakespeare & Company’s training department, which led to her career in development. Most recently, she worked for Bard College at Simon’s Rock in various roles, including Advancement Services Associate, Annual Giving Manager, student advisor and adjunct
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Pittsfield Parent Wants Pedestrian Safety Near SchoolsBy Brittany Polito, iBerkshires Staff
05:46AM / Friday, April 25, 2025 | |
PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A local mother has petitioned the city for better pedestrian safety measures around schools.
Jacquelyn Sykes, who has two children in the district, asked Commissioner of Public Works and Utilities Ricardo Morales to mull safety improvements before the new school year begins in the fall.
This includes more vibrant road paintings and flashing signs.
"I have a walker and I park around the corner and I wait for her, and I literally come out of my skin watching how people drive by the schools. It's insane," she said during Tuesday's City Council meeting.
"There's no police presence. A kid already got hit on Holmes Road, that's
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BArT Announces Third Quarter Honor Roll | 07:33AM / Thursday, April 24, 2025 | |
ADAMS, Mass. — Berkshire Arts & Technology (BArT) Charter Public School has announced the students who made the honor roll for the third quarter of the 2024-2025 school year. Students who earned 80 percent or above in all of their classes received the distinction of "Honors". Students who earned 90 percent or above in all of their classes received the distinction of "High Honors." Academic courses at BArT are aligned with the Massachusetts State Curriculum Frameworks for the appropriate grade level and include all standards deemed necessary for a complete, college-preparatory, middle and high school education. Students in Grade 6 >> Read More |
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