A welcome letter from the North Berkshire Educationa...

Dear Residents of North Berkshire, Welcome to the North Berkshire Educational Sustainability Study (NBESS). We are writing as representatives of a group of local school districts who are exploring potential avenues for collaboration as a way to provide the best possible educational offerings to every student in our region. Over the coming year, we will work together on an important question: How can we ensure that each student across North Berkshire County has access to outstanding educational opportunities while responding thoughtfully and proactively to changing enrollment, evolving educational needs, financial realities, and the opportunities and challenges facing our schools and communities? To help answer that question, the participating districts – the Northern Berkshire School Union, North Adams Public Schools, Hoosac Valley Regional School District, and Mount Greylock Regional School District – have launched the NBESS. Our study will represent a collaborative effort to better understand the current landscape of secondary education (grades 6–12) and explore opportunities for future collaboration. This study is being guided by a regional Steering Committee, whose  members  represent school committees, municipal leaders, parents, and community members from across the participating districts.  BERK12  has been selected to facilitate the process, conduct community-based research, and support the Steering Committee throughout the study. What is the purpose of the study? The purpose of NBESS is not to begin with a predetermined solution. Instead, this first phase is designed to help the region: Develop a shared understanding of current conditions across participating districts. Listen carefully to the educational priorities of students, families, educators, municipal leaders, and community members. Compare strengths, opportunities, and challenges across districts. Identify potential opportunities for collaboration that may warrant additional study and ultimately action. Throughout this initial phase, the Steering Committee will be gathering information— not making decisions about the future of any district.  This phase is intended to build understanding before considering any specific options or recommendations. In potential future phases, the Steering Committee will evaluate options and pass along advisory recommendations to the member towns and cities. The authority to enact any recommended changes lies with the community towns and cities. What will be studied? Over the next 10–12 months, the project team will work with the Steering Committee to examine topics including: Enrollment trends and demographic changes Educational programs, services, and extracurricular opportunities Staffing and organizational structures School finance and operations Facilities and building utilization At the same time, the study will include a broad community engagement effort designed to ensure that local perspectives help shape the work.  When can I get involved? Community engagement will begin in the fall and continue throughout the study. During the coming months, residents can expect opportunities to participate through: Community surveys Public forums and informational meetings Focus groups Meetings with stakeholder organizations and municipal leaders Our goal is to hear from a broad cross-section of the region so that the study reflects the experiences, priorities, and aspirations of the communities it serves. Stay Connected We have launched a project website at  nbess.org . Our website will serve as the central location for project updates, meeting materials, presentations, reports, and opportunities for public participation. You can also follow us on  Facebook  and  Instagram . Steering Committee meetings are open to the public, and community members are encouraged to attend to learn more about the project as it progresses.  We invite you to attend the next meeting of the North Berkshire Educational Sustainability Study Steering Committee, which is scheduled for  Wednesday, August 26 at 5:00 p.m. at Mount Greylock High School,  Room A109, or  join in via Zoom . Thank you for your interest in the North Berkshire Educational Sustainability Study. We recognize that the future of our schools is deeply important to our students, families, educators, and communities. We look forward to listening, learning, and working together over the coming year to better understand both the opportunities and challenges facing secondary education across North Berkshire County. Sincerely, The North Berkshire Educational Sustainability Study Steering Committee nbess.org  

Thursday, Aug 06 2026

2-Hour Delay Today, Friday, March 6th

All Mount Greylock Regional School District schools will be operating on a 2-hour delay today, Friday, March 6th due to icy road conditions. There will be no AM PreK at our elementary schools or breakfast services at our schools.

Friday, Mar 06 2026

Schools closed for Monday, February 23rd

Dear Community, All of our schools will be closed tomorrow, February 23rd. I'm sorry about that for many, and can hear the squeals of joy from some. The nature of this storm and the latest forecasts don't make an early-morning-fingers-crossed kind of call practical. At least this gives you a chance to plan for the day a bit in advance! School staff may be in touch with news regarding any after-school activities if the weather subsides and our crews are able to safely clear the heavy, wet, windy weather enough to make things safe for all. This makes our projected last day of school this year ... Tuesday, June 23rd, 2026.

Sunday, Feb 22 2026

Schools closed for Monday, January 26th

Dear MGRSD Community, All of our schools will be closed on Monday, January 26th. The storm forecast is not improving in terms of timing, and much of the region is already declaring a snow emergency for the day. This notice will hopefully give you more time to plan. It also gives you a decision to second-guess alongside any calls made during tomorrow's football games. This places our projected last day of this school year on Monday, June 22nd, for those keeping track. Please have a safe and enjoyable long weekend.

Saturday, Jan 24 2026

Schools Closed Today (Wednesday, 1/7)

Dear MGRSD Community, We have decided to fully cancel school for today, Wednesday, January 7th. Roads without significant salt or at higher elevations are quite dangerous at the moment, and with the current ice coming down, even many "good" roads are becoming slick. Please stay safe, and I'm sorry for the gradual decision-making here today that complicated your planning for the day. Some after school events may still occur if the weather permits. Your school's staff will be in touch with updates.

Wednesday, Jan 07 2026

FAQ re: Winter Weather Decisions

Dear MGRSD Community, Snow days are a joy for many and a burden for many. For a school district administrator, it’s a ritual of frequently making the wrong decision in hindsight. Forcing school buses, high schoolers, and distance commuters to drive in terrible conditions because the school made the wrong decision is the driver of those decisions. Ending up with clear roads, people upset about false alarms, and more June school days ahead often seems less bad. In the spirit of winter and our first pending storm, I wanted to share an FAQ with the community so we can all commiserate in the joy or burden of anticipation together. What are you thinking about when you make a decision? If school is going to start on time, buses and commuters need to be able to safely drive from 6:00 am through 8:35 am. If we get to school and the ice or snow starts, and we need to close early, we need to notify families, get the buses back, and get people home safely. That takes at least a couple of hours across the MGRS and elementary school routes. And then we need safe roads from 2:30 pm until 4:00 pm to get people out of school safely. The windows of time that we need to ensure safety are … big. When do you make a decision by? We try to make a decision by 5:30 am, but that’s not always possible. How do we learn about a snow day or delay? As soon as a decision is made, we send out an alert via ParentSquare that triggers phone calls, text messages, and app updates. Any phone registered with your school for ParentSquare will receive the notifications. We also update our website and share the news with all available local news outlets, though the timing of those is less instantaneous. If there is a “delay” rather than a full cancellation, what happens to the school day? We (almost) always use 2 hours as our delay time in the event of an overnight storm, where road crews need time to make the roads safe for travel. Bus pickup and school start times are all delayed by exactly 2 hours. AM PreK at the elementary schools is cancelled for the day when there is a 2-hour delay. School ends, and buses return students home at the usual times. What about early releases? We try to avoid early releases if possible because we know the increased burden of unpredictability for families and the challenge of timing a safe return home for all. They do happen on rare occasions. We send out an alert via ParentSquare that triggers voice calls, text messages, and app updates (just like for snow days and delays). Will there be a snow day tomorrow? If the forecast in the morning still looks like the picture at the start of this post, then yes. For families, please do make plans for what you will do in the event of a snow day. If you’re setting alarms or doing homework, do all of that because early December weather is not as predictable as anyone would like. Pushing us later into June this early in the school year is not an easy decision, given all the other “a big storm is coming” alerts we might see later in the school year. * Another fun fact: we have people who commute from New Hampshire, Springfield, west of Albany, north of Manchester, the Hudson Valley, and all kinds of other places within about a 90-minute drive. Thank you for loving our students as much as you must!

Tuesday, Dec 02 2025

A National Honor for Our Lanesborough Elementary Stu...

I am thrilled to share some incredible news with our school community. The Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) has announced that Lanesborough Elementary School has been named a  2025 National ESEA Distinguished School . We are one of only two schools in the entire Commonwealth of Massachusetts to receive this honor! Celebrating our students… This recognition honors schools for " exceptional student performance and academic growth ." This award belongs to your children. It is a validation of their hard work, their curiosity, and the progress they are making every single day in our classrooms. Whether they are mastering a new math concept or diving into a good book, their growth is what earned this national spotlight. Celebrating our staff…  This achievement is also a testament to our talented staff and the ways that they educate and support our students. Our community benefits from devoted educators who address diverse, continually evolving needs -- this award recognizes their effort, expertise, and adaptability. The award also recognizes the importance of our partnership with you. I want to share a specific detail from the award notification that makes me particularly proud. In selecting Lanesborough Elementary, state officials specifically highlighted our district’s " consistent and robust family engagement model ." They recognized what we see every day: that our families are true partners in education. Whether you are waking your sleepy child to get them into school, reading with them at home, volunteering, attending events, or simply communicating with teachers, you are a vital part of this success. Thank you for trusting us with your children’s education and for your continued support of Lanesborough Elementary School and Mount Greylock Regional School District. Please join me in congratulating our school community on this well-deserved honor!

Friday, Nov 21 2025

MGRSD Community Meal Assistance Available This Weekend

Dear MGRSD Community, The combined rising cost of groceries and ongoing uncertainty about food benefits (like SNAP) are making this moment especially challenging for many members of our community. To help ease this burden, a team of administrators and staff is preparing and delivering meals this weekend.  If your family could benefit, we will provide freshly prepared, ready-to-eat meals on Friday night, as well as extra food items for your refrigerator and freezer.  If you would like to receive this support, please let us know by completing the form below by Friday at noon. All requests will be kept strictly confidential and seen only by the administrative team arranging the assistance. A member of the administrative team will contact you privately to arrange the details. Deliveries will be made on Friday evening or Saturday, based on your preference. Pickup is also an option. We value our community and are committed to helping in any way we can.

Wednesday, Nov 12 2025

Schools without Internet today

Friday, Oct 31 2025

Key Food Resources for Families (and Opportunities t...

Dear MGRSD Community, The possible pause in the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) program starting November 1st is concerning and has our staff more focused than ever on our community's food needs. This message shares some of the resources that we know exist to support our students' and families' needs. We also highlight ways that families can get involved in helping within our community. Our free breakfast and free lunch programs will continue to operate. The state has funding through at least November, and ensuring the availability of both meals for students is a priority for us. We are highlighting a few of the food pantries and necessity goods support services in Lanesborough and Williamstown that are collaborating with our staff in the paragraphs below. A much more complete list of area services is available here . All of these services will continue to make sure that food is available to our community, regardless of SNAP funding. Massachusetts has information on how to navigate various federal programs, along with related FAQs, here: https://www.mass.gov/info-details/november-2025-snap-updates . Project Bread is a non-profit that operates the FoodSource Hotline at (800) 645-8333 and online at https://projectbread.org/foodsource-hotline . The FoodSource hotline is confidential, open to anyone, available in 180 languages, and helps families find food assistance through programs such as the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) Program and local food pantries. Their website also includes a downloadable flyer you can post in community areas to advertise the help available. The Williamstown Food Pantry , operating out of Saints Patrick & Raphael Parish on Southworth Street in Williamstown, can offer support to all of our school community families (not only Williamstown) and can coordinate deliveries, too. Its regular hours are 9:00am-12:00pm on the first and third Wednesdays of each month, and it is open for an extra window tomorrow (October 29) from 9-12 . You can request services and volunteer/donation information via its  Facebook page or by calling 508-330-8198 (note that this phone number differs from some public directory listings). The Lanesborough Food Pantry operates out of the American Legion on Old State Road and is open to the public on Fridays from 9:30-11:00am. Their contact number is 413-442-1025 to hear their open hours and to contact them for additional support or donation/volunteering opportunities. Remedy Hall on Main St in Williamstown offers non-food life necessities free of charge. They have a satellite locker at our Mount Greylock Regional School that is well-stocked and open to all of our students daily. Remedy Hall's primary location is open throughout the week by appointment via phone (413) 884-3051 or email remedyhallinc@gmail.com. Learn more at  https://remedyhall.org/ . All of the above and linked organizations are accepting both donations and volunteer support. Please make sure to check in with the organizations to confirm what would be most helpful to them. If you have questions, need translation assistance, or have any difficulty accessing these programs due to transportation, schedule, or other concerns, please reply to this post, and we will attempt to coordinate help. Sincerely, the Mount Greylock Regional School District Staff

Tuesday, Oct 28 2025