News&Notes from the Superintendent

"The only person who is educated is the one who has learned how to learn…and change." — Carl Rogers

It’s another busy week at SBRSD including the official welcome of spring!

Please find below this week’s updates & events happening in our District ~

The School Committee unanimously voted to recommend the FY25 Budget Proposal to the member towns as presented at the March 15, 2024 meeting. Again, we are grateful for the support from members of the Board of Selectmen and Finance Committees from the towns who have been in attendance of both the finance sub-committee meetings and School Committee meetings. Also, for those who publicly thanked the District for presenting a fiscally responsible budget that kept the increases in assessments manageable while continuing to improve programming and outcomes for students and staff.

The District is proposing a 2.97% increase over the FY24 Budget or just over $570k, and the overall assessment increase to the towns is a very modest 2.18% or just under $333k. Since 2017, the District’s overall budget increases on average have been 2.75%, and with the addition of the FY25 proposal, the average increase since 2017 is 2.78%. The Capital Projects Budget is a recommendation to fund projects totaling $332,000 next year, and the District also continues to pay down the debt associated with the roof and boiler project with the FY25 payment marking the halfway point to paying it off on the debt schedule. Also, this plan recommends the addition of three staff positions: a Data Management Specialist, a Behavioral Specialist, and an Elementary Science Specialist Grades 2-5.

To review the documentation presented at the hearing, please see the District website at https://www.sbrsd.org/documents/district/budgets/fy25-budget/567699 or click below.

At last week’s School Committee meeting, students with the help of staff and Administrators, put together two videos to advocate for a few of the things they believe are needed to improve their schools and the overall experience here at SBRSD.

The first video is on the need for a library redesign at Mt. Everett to make the space more inviting, more accessible and to encourage a love for reading! The second video was put together by a sub-committee of the Elementary Superintendent’s Advisory Council, which is made up of 4th and 5th grade students. The group named their sub-committee the PIC – Playground Improvement Committee. These students took their roles very seriously, did their research, and made the case for the need for additional playground equipment at the Sheffield Campus.

I am so proud of how our students strive to find ways to give back, are actively looking to improve their schools, and of their commitment to the group and the collaboration that is happening across councils and the whole student body as a result! The videos are shared below!

The Elementary Council was back at work on Friday and had a very lively meeting with the Director of Food Service, Jonathan Duerr. He was happy to hear ideas and to answer questions and shared a brief survey for the group to pilot in hopes to have the entire student body take it in the future. Mr. Duerr is hoping to engage students and families in improving and enhancing the program where possible. The Middle School and High School Councils meet this week.

The Design Team met last week and tackled a very full agenda! The group got updates from the prior Community Team meetings, heard a report on the Texas experience, were provided with the piloting process, learning questions, and results from the first pilot, and worked on the agenda as well as the sub-committee structure being presented at the Community Team meeting.

The Community Team is scheduled to meet on April 9, where they will be charged with moving to the next phase of the work that will include the formation of subcommittees to drive the initiatives forward. Also, I am meeting next week with the Transcend Team to see how our work with the organization can continue and grow next year as this partnership has been invaluable to our school community.

More information about this incredible community focused initiative is here at https://www.sbrsd.org/page/transcend-partnership.

Last week, our Transcend Design Team met to discuss the feedback we received at the Texas convening last week and share the results of our piloting process. They also worked on a STEM Tower Challenge within small groups!

I so enjoyed opening night of Mt. Everett’s Seussical the Musical! The cast and crew did a fabulous job, and the theater was full of theatergoers! As I looked around the audience, it brought me such joy to see the littlest of attendees at 2 and 3 years old, completely entranced by what they saw on stage! Most of them made it to just about the end of the performance before falling asleep – it was a sweet memory!

I also stopped by Cromwell High School to support our Drone Teams at the New England Championship and to cheer them on! They did a great job and displayed some incredible skills against some formidable opponents. I learned a lot and was happy to see them all doing what they love in their element!

This week there are so many great things happening in our schools, and we hope to see you here!

This week’s events include the start of spring sports, Vex Robotics, Elementary Robotics, Berkshire Art Center After School, Poetry Workshop Grades 4 & 5, UME Talent Show, Girl Scouts, UME Garden Club, Flying Cloud After School Program, Class of 2025 Dance, and there is a Special Town Meeting for Sheffield tonight in the TACPAC just to name of few things!

Please check the event calendar regularly as it will keep you up to date as will the weekly notes from the Principals.

Early College Assembly: On March 28th, we will host an Early College assembly where we will be recognizing our Early College students for their enrollment and participation in the program.

The Future Fair: On April 26th Mount Everett 10th-grade students are invited to attend a college field trip to Simon's Rock

Interested in learning more about our Early College program? Visit our website!

Mt. Everett's Innovation Pathway in Advanced Manufacturing focuses on building hands-on 21st-century skills in Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM). Students work out of the school's Makerspace Lab to build robots, rockets, and more! Learn more through our website.

Information Technology is a growing field! The Information Technology pathway at Mount Everett will allow students to earn several industry-recognized certifications, as well as provide them with a hands-on internship experience tailored to their growing skills during their Senior year. Learn more through our website!

Please feel free to reach out with questions or concerns as I welcome the opportunity to hear from you.

Best,

~ Dr. Beth Regulbuto, Superintendent of Schools