image description — Students in Pittsfield and beyond are enjoying their last days of summer before classes begin. Herberg Middle School will be greeting younger students in Grades 5 and 6.

Summer Wrapping Up for Pittsfield, Berkshire Students

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
05:19PM / Sunday, August 23, 2026Print Story | Email Story

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Students in Pittsfield and beyond are enjoying their last days of summer before classes begin.

Most Berkshire County teachers return to work this month, and students follow in late August and early September.

For Pittsfield Public Schools, staff returns on Aug. 26 and students' first day is Aug. 31; pre-kindergarten and kindergarten begin school on Sept. 2.

Labor Day is on Monday, Sept. 7.

"The summer is pretty much done, and we will be ready and excited to open the doors in about two and a half weeks,” Superintendent Latifah Phillips told the School Committee on Wednesday.

Phillips is returning this year as the permanent superintendent. She was appointed the interim superintendent last spring, and the School Committee voted to hire her permanently in June.

This year also brings the middle school restructuring, moving fifth grade to the middle school level, and the retirement of Morningside Community School.

Welcome night for Reid Middle School students new to the building is on Aug. 18 at 6 p.m.; Herberg will have a sixth-grade welcome night at 5:30 p.m. on Aug. 25, and at the same time on Aug. 26 for fifth grade.

Herberg's logo was also reimagined to represent the younger fifth grade students it will now serve. Phillips said School Committee member Heather McNeice did the redesign, featuring a young husky, and helped refresh the Reid Raptors logo.

"It is similar to the prior [Herberg] Husky, but again, because the student age group is a little younger, the husky is a little younger as well,” Phillips said.

Former Morningside students are reassigned to Allendale, Capeless, Egremont, and Williams elementary schools.

A practice bus ride was scheduled for Friday, Aug. 21, as part of the students' transitions to new schools. The ride is meant to make students and families more comfortable and confident, with an activity at the school before they get back on the bus and ride home.

PPS continues to explore ways to continue offering these students transportation for after-school programming; one of the district's commitments when the vote was taken to close Morningside. Walk routes for former Morningside students also continue to be analyzed to see if they require transportation.

A vast majority of families surveyed at the summer 21st Century Program indicated that they did not need transportation, Phillips reported.

"We did have it in the budget. We are still planning to provide transportation, but we also want to make sure that we are monitoring and evaluating whether that's a resource that really is meaningful and needed for the families,” she said.

PPS received a $400,000 earmark from the state, which State Rep. Tricia Farley Bouvier lobbied for; $300,000 can be used for out-of-district transportation and $100,000 can be used for technology.

First days of school:

Pittsfield Public Schools: Aug. 31 (pre-k/kindergarden Sept. 2)
Central Berkshire Regional School District: Aug. 26
Southern Berkshire Regional School District: Aug. 26
Berkshire Hills Regional School District: Aug. 31
Mount Greylock Regional School District: Sept. 1 (pre-k/kindergarden Sept. 3)
Hoosac Valley Regional School District: Aug. 31
Lenox Public Schools: Aug. 25
Lee Public Schools: Aug. 31
North Adams Public Schools: Aug. 31 (early release the first day)

Tags: back to school, Pittsfield Public Schools,

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Allendale Pines North Affordable Manufactured Homes Sell Fast

By Sabrina DammsiBerkshires Staff
05:17PM / Saturday, August 22, 2026

Developer Teton Management cut the ribbon on the first six hopes in the manufactured housing community earlier this year.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Just a few months after Allendale Pines North cut the ribbon on its first six homes in the new manufactured home community, units in the planned development are selling fast with both first and second phases all but sold out.

For several years, Teton Management Corp. has been planning to expand its existing Allendale Pines Mobile Community with the development of 22 planned manufactured housing units. The new development has its own entrance at 395 Cheshire Road.

The need for attainable housing has never been higher, Teton President George Whaling said.

"And where we sought the opportunity to help with that demand is, we can get folks into a home at Allendale Pines North for essentially a couple of $100 less than what it would cost for someone to rent a three-bedroom of the same quality," he said.

The corporation took over Allendale Pines, now referred to as Allendale Pines South, about 6 1/2 years ago, Whaling said.

Since then, the corporation has invested $1,000,001 in infrastructure improvements, including replacing all water and sewer lines, paving the community and installing the infrastructure needed for 10 additional units, he said.

Additionally, it has been working to clean up and improve the community, which was lacking during previous ownership, said Jason Nocher, owner of Nocher Realty, which has been hired to help sell the units.

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