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Clarksburg Officials Mull Preschool Costs

School officials and teachers joined Superintendent Jonathan Lev, center, and Vincent Guntlow to discuss the preschool project at Wednesday's Selectmen's meeting.

CLARKSBURG, Mass. — Town and school officials are hoping to schedule an information session about the proposed preschool prior to town meeting.

The preschool would occupy a former kindergarten classroom on the second floor of Town Hall, the former Briggsville School, and is expected cost about $265,000, including design and engineering services.

"Maybe as we get closer to town meeting, we could have some kind of forum or something for people to try to help them understand more of it before we actually go to town meeting," said Superintendent Jonathan Lev at Wednesday's Selectmen's meeting. "So people have an understanding of what we're trying to do and why, and how much it's going to cost."

He also encouraged residents to attend School Committee meetings with questions and opinions.

School officials and parents say children are already being tuitioned to preschools outside of town, including Stamford, Vt., and Gabriel Abbot Memorial School in Florida. Two children requiring specialized services are being sent to North Adams at a cost of $6,000 per child, plus transportation; the district also has to provide therapists whose time could be more efficiently used within Clarksburg.

More importantly, said Principal Linda Reardon, preschool or pre-kindergarten programs are becoming essential to children's early education needs.

"Without preschool, it's really hard to access the kindergarten curriculum," she said, noting that children attending other preschools may not be getting a curriculum aligned with Clarksburg's.

Lev said the development of an early education program may be inevitable as states and the federal government seem to be moving in that direction.

While town officials have endorsed the project, the greatest concern has been how to pay for it.

"If the economy was up where it was, we wouldn't have any problem and we'd say go for it," said Chairwoman Lily Kuzia.

Officials have publicly discussed options for funding, including dipping into the school stabilization account and school choice funds, applying for grants and borrowing. Savoy and the town of Florida use early education grants to pay its preschool teachers, said Lev, and there is the potential for opening up slots for out-of-town children at a higher tuition.

Selectman Jeffrey Levanos said it was critical that the school department have firm numbers in hand, along with the argument for the educational needs of the children. "We will need all that at town meeting."

The Selectmen also quizzed Vincent Guntlow of Guntlow & Associates of Williamstown on Wednesday about aspects of the study his firm recently completed, and what could possibly be trimmed.  

North Adams Takes Possession of Historic Church Street Houses

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
05:30PM / Tuesday, April 22, 2025

The porch collapsed on 116 Church several years ago. 

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The state Land Court in February finalized the city's tax taking of four properties including the brick Church Street mansions.

 

The prestigious pair of Queen Anne mansions had been owned by Franklin E. Perras Jr., who died in 2017 at age 79. 

 

The properties had been in court for four years as attempts were made repeatedly to find Perras' heirs, including a son, Christopher. According to court filings, Christopher reportedly died in 2013 but his place of death is unknown, as is the location (or existence) of two grandchildren listed in Perras' obituary. 

 

Mayor Jennifer Macksey said the next steps will be to develop requests for proposals for the properties to sell them off. 

 

She credited Governor's Councillor Tara Jacobs for bringing the lingering tax takings to the Land Court's attention. Jacobs said she'd asked about the status of the properties and a few days later they were signed off. 

 

It wasn't just the four North Adams properties — the cases for three Perras holdings in Lanesborough that also had been in the court for years were closed, including Keeler Island. Another property on Holmes Road in Hinsdale is still in the court.  

 

The buildings at 116, 124 and 130 Church St., and a vacant lot on Arnold Place had been in tax title since 2017 when the city placed $12,000 in liens.