Letter: Support Lynette Bond for the Future of North Adams

To the Editor:

I moved to North Adams in 2014. I fell in love with its community spirit, its welcoming attitude, and its impressive collection of cultural venues, from Mass MoCA to small local music shows. I have stayed for those reasons and many more — I owe a lot to North Adams and the Berkshires. I have a beautiful community of friends and colleagues here. My daughter, born in May, will get to grow up surrounded by and supported by that beautiful community. She'll go to North Adams schools, run around with her friends at North Adams summer camps, learn about art and science and history at North Adams and Berkshire cultural outposts.

In 2014, the city looked a little different — Colegrove's renovation was underway, the downtown was a little quieter. As a professional adult in my late 20s, I got to enjoy the opening of Bright Ideas, the Mohawk bar renovation, eating at new restaurants like Grazie and A-OK. In my early 30s, I had the opportunity to watch projects like Greylock Works and the UNO Center and the skate park develop, then fill with people excited to have new things to do and new community spaces to enjoy. What an exciting time for our community, no matter who we are or where we come from!

Francesca Olsen
North Adams, Mass. 

Clarksburg Students Write in Support of Rural School Aid

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
07:25AM / Sunday, March 15, 2026

Mason Langenback calculated that Clarksburg would get almost $1 million if the $60 million was allocated equally.

CLARKSBURG, Mass. — Eighth-graders at Clarksburg School took a lesson in civic advocacy this week, researching school funding and writing letters to Beacon Hill that call for fully funding rural school aid. 

 

The students focused on the hardships for small rural schools and their importance to the community — that they struggle with limited funding and teacher shortages, but offer safe and supportive spaces for learning and are a hub for community connections.

 

"They all address the main issue, the funding for rural schools, and how there's a gap, and there's the $4 million gap this year, and then it's about the $40 million next year, and that rural schools need that equitable funding," said social studies teacher Mark Karhan.

 

A rural schools report in 2022 found smaller school districts cost from nearly 17 percent to 23 percent more to operate, and recommended "at least" $60 million be appropriated annually for rural school aid. 

 

Gov. Maura Healey has filed for more Chapter 70 school aid, but that often is little help to small rural schools with declining or static enrollment. For fiscal 2027, she's budgeted $20 million for rural schools, up from around $13 million this year but still far below the hoped for $60 million. 

 

Karhan said the class was broken into four groups and the students were provided a submission letter from Rural Schools Advocacy. The students used the first paragraph, which laid out the funding facts, and then did research and wrote their own letters. 

 

They will submit those with a school picture to the governor.