Pittsfield Public Schools Public Hearing on Proposed Middle Grade Restructuring

08:08AM / Tuesday, June 03, 2025Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Pursuant to School Committee Policy SC-64 Policy for Redistricting of Schools, which guarantees the community a formal opportunity to comment on any proposed change that affects school attendance zones, the Pittsfield Public Schools (PPS) School Committee will hold a public hearing on Wednesday, June 11, 2025, at 5:30 p.m.

The purpose of this hearing is to gather input from parents, students, staff, and other residents regarding a proposal to restructure middle?grade education into two grade spans: Grades 5–6 and Grades 7–8.

If approved, the plan would modify current school attendance zones, which now assign students to a middle school based strictly on home address.

Key Points of the Proposal

Grade Configuration:
- Grades 5–6 would be housed together to support the transition from elementary to middle school.
- Grades 7–8 would focus on preparing students for the academic and social demands of high school.
Attendance Zones: Current middle school boundaries would be eliminated, and all students would attend the designated Grade 5–6 school followed by the Grade 7–8 school, regardless of where they live.
- Educational Rationale: The reconfiguration aims to provide more targeted academic programming, age?appropriate social?emotional supports, and expanded elective options.

How to Participate

In?Person Testimony: Community members wishing to speak may sign up in the City Hall Chambers beginning at 5:15 p.m.
Livestream & Recording: The hearing will be livestreamed on Pittsfield Community Television (Channel 1302).

Next Steps

Following the public hearing, the School Committee will review all feedback and determine whether to move the proposal forward for a vote on June 25, 2025. Any approved changes would take effect during the 2025–2026 school year.

For more information, please visit https://www.pittsfield.net/en-US/middle-school-restructuring-c455a246

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Free Vaccinations Available Throughout Berkshire County

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
10:30AM / Saturday, October 10, 2026

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Fall season is also the flu season, which means vaccine clinics are now available.

The Berkshire Vaccine Collaborative will provide public vaccination clinics in Berkshire communities this fall, including the influenza and COVID-19 vaccines. There are about 49 clinics.

The collaborative began during COVID-19 to help vaccinate people across Berkshire County. Berkshire Health Systems started the Get Vaccinated Berkshires website and still manages it. The group works with the Pittsfield Public Health Department, Community Health Programs, and the Southern Berkshire Public Health Collaborative.

"The majority of people will always get the flu [vaccine] because, as I said, if you've ever gotten the flu, you will always get a flu vaccine because it's so bad. And just so you know, the flu is already in Berkshire County. It's an early season this year," said Leslie Drager, who is the senior public health nurse at Berkshire Regional Planning Commission.

Drager said last year they issued 2,705 vaccines, with more than 1,100 of them being for COVID-19 and more than 1,500 being flu. In total, they were able to vaccinate 1,669 people in Central and North County, in addition to Pittsfield.

Drager also said she will be carrying three types of COVID vaccines this year, which is in high demand.

"We have a high demand of COVID vaccine, which is awesome," she said. "So we're doing a lot of COVID vaccines. Also, I provide Pfizer, and this year I have Moderna and the Novavax, which I think is real important to get out there because the Novavax, a lot of people want, people with long COVID. So I'm carrying all three vaccines this year, which I normally only carry the Pfizer."

Public health departments also can help people access other vaccines such as for measles or meningitis when they cannot get them through a pediatrician, she added.

Using the website, people are able to get vaccines even if they are homebound by filling out a form.

All public Berkshire Vaccine Collaborative clinics are free of charge, but registrants are asked to provide insurance information, when available, in order to defray costs. The clinics are open to anyone 6 months of age or older, the age group recommended to receive an annual flu vaccine and the latest COVID-19 vaccine.

"I always encourage everybody to wear a short sleeve shirt because it makes it a heck of a lot easier to get at," Drager said. "And children, we do carry the nasal flu, the live virus of nasal flu for kids that are afraid to get needles."

Registration is highly recommended for the clinics. Walk-ins may be accepted depending on the number of vaccine doses available at each clinic, with preference given to those who are registered.

"It's really important. I'm really encouraging vaccinations for the schools, because not only you know if the kids are vaccinated and the teachers are vaccinated, the schools won't have the flu go wild right through it," Drager said. "And of course, the best way to prevent infections: washing your hands. So don't touch your face, and wash your hands."

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