SBRSD Task Force prepares its final presentation

SHEFFIELD – The fate of the three outlying schools in the Southern Berkshire Regional School District (SBRSD) could lie in the hands of the towns.

The SBRSD Elementary Task Force, formed to look into the district’s elementary program as a whole, recently met to put together its final presentation and recommendations to the school committee.

As part of the recommendations, the task force members agreed the capital costs of the three outlying schools (Monterey, New Marlborough Central and South Egremont) should fall on the towns’ shoulders, not the district’s. Altogether, the three schools are in need of at least $1.4 million in repairs.

It seems this will not be a problem for Monterey, as town resident and Task Force Member David Micklewright indicated the town would easily approve the building of a new school (costing approximately $650,000), which would open in 2014 or 2015.

The repairs needed at South Egremont are minimal, and task force members seemed to think the town would be willing to pay the money to bring it up to code.

“I get the feeling they probably would [back the funding],” Mr. Micklewright said.

Task Force Member Susan Struzziero also said the Egremont Historical Commission had expressed interest in raising money to fix up the school.

While the funding doesn’t seem to be a major issue for Monterey and Egremont, New Marlborough is an entirely different can of worms, as the school is in need of some extensive repairs.

However, instead of relying entirely on the town and taxpayers to come up with the $700,000-plus needed to repair New Marlborough Central School, the task force is suggesting the establishment of a capital campaign committee to raise funds for the renovations.

Other recommendations

In addition to the future of the outlying schools, the task force’s other facility-based recommendations will include proposing all schools should provide early childhood education and expanded after-school uses for the buildings, specifically the Sheffield campus.

Educational recommendations include expanding the frequency and the methods in which the elementary schools work together and pursuing the plan to have New Marlborough Central become an innovation school as designated by the state.

The media and community relations proposals include marketing the district as “A True Berkshire Education” and generating more interest in coverage by local press.

As for the leadership of the district, the task force would like to see the school principals and the school council do more to engage parent involvement.

The task force will meet again tonight (Dec. 6) at 5:30 p.m. in the Mount Everett Regional High School Eagles Nest to finalize its recommendations, which will be presented Thursday, Dec. 13 in the Mt. Everett library during the school committee’s regular meeting, which starts at 5:45 p.m.

Posted by Catherine M. Krummey on December 6, 2012. Filed under Education News,News. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. You can leave a response or trackback to this entry