St. Mary's School Earns NEASC Reaccreditation

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LEE, Mass. — St. Mary's School, a Catholic school serving students in grades PS-8, announced that their institution has been granted their reaccreditation by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC). 
 
This distinction reaffirms St. Mary's School's ongoing commitment to academic excellence, faith formation, and continuous institutional improvement through learning, prayer, and service, stated a press release.
 
NEASC reaccreditation follows an in-depth, multiyear self-study process in which faculty, staff, administrators, parents, students, and community members examine every aspect of St. Mary's School's mission and operations. The NEASC process concludes in a comprehensive review conducted by a visiting committee of peer educators who evaluate the school's adherence to NEASC Standards for Accreditation.
 
The visiting committee commended St. Mary's School for; "their administration's unwavering dedication to the school's Mission and its commitment to nurturing the growth and development of the whole child. The faculty and staff are recognized for their professionalism, collaboration, and evident passion for creating a positive and engaging learning environment. In addition, St. Mary's School's proactive planning to support strategic initiatives, promote financial stability, and sustain enrollment is noteworthy. The renewed [School] Board involvement in these efforts is both healthy and necessary and is to be applauded."
 
The Enrollment, Recruitment, and Retention Committee's efforts in long term planning and increasing enrollment was also evaluated and commended. 
 
Reaccreditation also includes recommendations that guide the school's continuous improvement efforts in the years ahead.
 
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Lanesborough OKs Open Space Plan, Short-Term Rental Forms

By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — The Select Board on Monday set fees for short-term rentals and adopted an Open Space and Recreation Plan.
 
Town Administrator Gina Dario discussed the draft for STR registration and certificate of inspection since the new bylaws were passed at the annual town meeting.
 
The draft shows the process to file for inspection through Permit Eyes, the town's online permitting system that includes the state building code and safety requirements. Dario said members of the Planning Board and Zoning Board of Appeals and the building commissioner looked at other town models to come up with the best process for registration.
 
Inspections will be annually for non-owner occupied units and five years for owner-occupied. The inspection fee is a flat $50. The last suggestion discussed was the posting requirements for key information.
 
Dario said they looked at about four other communities on how they used non-sensitive information on owner contacts. Chair Deborah Maynard motioned to have the information posted both inside and out to help with law enforcement if needed.
 
"I'm going to make a motion that we put that relevant information not only on the inside of the short-term rental but on the outside, so if the police need to respond, ambulance needs to respond, fire especially needs to respond, all that information is there, nobody has to go searching for it," she said. "If push comes to shove, and it's a matter of minutes, that's going to make a big, a big difference in the outcome of the incident."
 
The board then heard a presentation from Berkshire Regional Planning Commission's community planner Andrew McKeever and Open Space and Recreation Committee Vice Chair Mark Hawthorne.
 
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