To the editor:
I have been trying to understand the objections to the school district merger. Frankly, they confound me. The emotional arguments are clear, but the facts do not withstand scrutiny.
Should the districts merge, nothing will change for elementary and middle schools. With the proposed regional agreement, their school buildings will remain. Classes will still be small and very local. Only a new high school, grades nine through 12, will be built and merged into the school geographically central to the attending students.
Fears that the new school board will be controlled by Berkshire Hills towns are unfounded. The proposed 11-member school committee will be majority-controlled by Southern Berkshire Regional School District (SBRSD) towns, who will have six votes, and only five from the Berkshire Hills Regional School District (BHRSD) towns. The repeated fear that the new board will be dominated by BHRSD is belied by the facts. The eight-town committee wisely granted SBRSD towns additional authority precisely to put this issue to bed. Why this remains an issue is a mystery.
Another concern is that a limited grant for early college at Simons Rock will be lost if the districts merge. This concern also appears misplaced. One of the many benefits of the merger is the ability to provide triple the number of advanced courses Mt. Everett has with access to more than 25 AP, Early College, or Dual Enrollment options. Students from both districts will be able to accelerate and earn college credits, one of the goals of the merger.
Let me tell you what I see as a broad opportunity and a future problem.
One of the primary benefits of the merger addresses South County’s greatest shortcoming. Currently, 50 percent of our high school students do NOT graduate from college, so they need school-to-career pathways during and after high school.
Why do South County students travel long distances to attend Career Vocational Technical Education (CVTE) programs in Pittsfield and North Adams when their sending towns must shoulder expensive tuition and transportation costs? It is because South County LACKS sufficient programs, serving only 46 students in two Chapter 74 CVTE programs. Compare this to Pittsfield, with 406, and North Adams, with 506 CVTE students. The State not only co-sponsors the building costs, but also the required equipment. These costs cannot be estimated until the merger is approved, at which time, CVTE programs will be selected, and costs and grants addressed. Every analysis suggests there will be both enhanced CVTE offerings and substantial cost savings with local CVTE programs for resident students. Up to six CVTE facilities would be co-located at the high school, enabling the availability of courses to all students and encouraging social interaction without geographic separation.
CVTE has been identified as a significant gap area in southern Berkshire County. Currently, these programs encompass 8 percent of all students in the eight towns, and a mere 3 percent in South County as a whole. Yet, statewide between 2005 and 2020, CVTE has increased enrollment by 24 percent. For good reason, the Eight-Town consultants have consistently identified CVTE as an area of high need and high interest among students, recent graduates, staff, parents, and community members.
Chapter 74 CVTE are comprehensive and rigorous state-approved high school tracks that integrate academic content, technical skills training, and field/work experiences before students graduate. These are not just local mentorships. CVTE programs train students according to industry standards, health/safety regulations, workplace expectations, professionalism, and entrepreneurship. Without question, CVTE programs give students a leg up when starting post-high school careers far beyond their first jobs.
During the many workshops, surveys, and focus groups in 2020–21, top interests have been: Carpentry/construction, Plumbing, Electricity, Automotive technology, and Culinary arts.*
Fair warning: Without a merger, the vocational-technical opportunities will not be realized and remain insufficient. With a merger, students will have free tuition and transportation provided for the in-district attendees. More equitable access to vocational programs will provide skills required for higher paying jobs with career paths and to fill local vacancies creating a more qualified and skilled workforce.
Further, the failure to merge will be met with other troubling consequences. Choicing-in to the new, modern Monument High School will be very limited. Unlike the 2014 proposal, the State will no longer co-fund a high school for what was an over-estimated 700 students. Without a merger, it will be sized for only 485 students. District students would be guaranteed enrollment. Tuition-in towns without high schools (Richmond, Otis, and Sandisfield) contract for and pay tuition fees would probably have preference. The school will not be built for all those now choicing-in. It stands to reason that the State would not want to support two high schools in close proximity with substantial vacancy rates. Also, CVTE investments will be made where there is enrollment mass. Monument has nearly 2.5 times more high school students than Mt. Everett has.
Let’s stop the chest-pounding as to which school is better or growing faster. Please vote at your town meeting** and don’t let naysayers prevail. The merger will cast a new direction for the next half-century, after more than a quarter-century of merger studies.
Once you peel back the emotional arguments, it could not be more obvious that the opportunity to combine high schools is compelling for our students and for the future of South County. Please consider facts rather than fears. If you do, you will assuredly approve the merger.
Sharon Gregory
Great Barrington
*Please see the Resources section on the Eight Town Regional School District Planning Board website. Under Reports and Plans (2021-2022), there are six reports listed on CVTE, including survey data, workforce presentations, CVTE analysis, and includes a video of available CVTE programs. The Summary of 2023 explains the multitude of surveys, focus groups of students, recent graduates, educators, and community members conducted.
**Town meetings: October 21 (Egremont) or October 23 (all other towns).
