DALTON, Mass. — The Central Berkshire Regional School District is considering adding vocational transportation to the draft regional agreement. 

 

School Committee Chair Richard Peters said at last month's meeting that the district received an email from Cummington inquiring if it could add vocational transportation to its regional agreement, similar to what is happening in the Mohawk Trail Hawlemont Regional School District. 

 

"[The Mohawk District] actually documented in the regional agreement that the school district arranges the transportation for the students going to vocation for the towns. And then we bill the towns for that transportation," Peters said. 

 

The committee approved holding a special public hearing for all towns on Nov. 21 at 7 p.m. to review the required language regarding the voting method and discuss the amendment that would add vocational transportation to the agreement. The location of the meeting has yet to be determined. 

 

The district wants to bring in authorities, such as representatives from the Massachusetts Association of Regional Schools, legal, and possibly the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to inform town officials what changes can be made to the agreement. 

 

Peters emphasized that the district is not opening up the regional agreement for debate on every point because towns have already agreed on everything but the voting method.

 

The meeting's purpose is to educate the towns that voted against the agreement and discuss the vocational amendment, which would have to be approved at town meetings for all seven towns.