Page 2 - Jake Eberwein News Today

At the Lenox public schools, it’s a long list: Three out of seven School Committee members, an interim superintendent and a union president are stepping down from their roles.

In Sheffield, there was not the warmest reception to a high school and district merger that will disrupt Southern Berkshire the most.

With town leaders urging protection for senior taxpayers on limited, fixed incomes, two education spending proposals include 3.7% to 5.5% increases over current funding.

The curtain goes up today for a repeat performance of Monday’s snowstorm, with major impacts on school schedules and motorists navigating snow-covered, slippery roads this afternoon and evening.

Preliminary estimates indicate a budget hike of 6 percent, nearly $900,000 for the 2023-24 year. Select Board members voice concern over a spending squeeze on other town services.

Should a new district charge all eight towns the same rate? For taxpayers, this could make or break a Monument Mountain and Mount Everett regional high schools merger.

None of the final three is from Berkshire County, though one candidate is from the nearby Gateway Regional School District in Huntington. Interviews are being scheduled for next week.

According to a presentation by Project Manager Jake Eberwein on the potential merger timeline at the Eight Town Regional School District Planning Board meeting on Wednesday, Jan. 4, the merger process would take at least two fiscal years; the earliest the newly merged school district could operate is July 2025.

Lenox Schools Superintendent Jake Eberwein has appointed a former North County principal and current teacher in Lee to the temporary post through June 30.

The Eight Town Regional School District Planning Board briefly reviewed a draft regional agreement, which covers various aspects of what a potential merger of Berkshire Hills and Southern Berkshire Regional School Districts would look like, at its regular meeting one Wednesday, Sept. 28.