MCLA's Sam Gomez Fund-Raiser Race Returns April 7

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NORTH ADAMS, Mass..— The MCLA Student Government Association’s 46th annual Sam Gomez Road Race will be held and around the campus of the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts on Sunday, April 7.
 
With the help of loyal sponsors and runners, SGA has raised more than $30,000 for Berkshire-based organizations over the past two decades. This year, SGA has chosen Louison House as its 2024 not-for-profit beneficiary.
 
Runners or walkers can register at www.mcla.edu/samgomez.
 
Community members, families and friends are encouraged to take part or donate to this worthy cause. The April 7 race kicks off at 11 a.m. Check-in time will be from 9:30 to 10:45 on the first floor of the MCLA Campus Center in the Marketplace.
 
Runners who wish to complete the 5-kilometer race will be timed by our partner organization, the Berkshire Running Center, and times will be available afterwards. All runners who register will receive a race T-shirt, and medals will be awarded to top finishers and kids under 10.
 
The Sam Gomez Road Race is one of the oldest races in Berkshire County. Thanks to the generosity of our loyal sponsors and the support of the local running community, the race has been a successful North Adams tradition for more than 40 years.
If you would like to contribute information on this article, contact us at info@iberkshires.com.

North Adams School Finance Panel Reviews Fiscal 2026 Spending Plan

By Tammy Daniels iBerkshires Staff
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The Finance & Facilities Committee took a deeper dive this week into next year's school spending plan.
 
The draft proposal for fiscal 2026 is $21,636,220, up 3.36 percent that will be offset with $940,008 in school choice funds, bringing the total to $20,696,212, or a 2.17 percent increase. 
 
Business and Finance Director Nancy Rauscher said the district's school choice account would be in relatively good shape at the end of fiscal 2026. 
 
As a practice, the district has been to trying not to exceed the prior year's revenue and to maintain a 5 percent surplus for unexpected special education expenses. However, this year's revenue would be about $500,000 so the amount used would be significantly more. 
 
"But given our current balance, we could absorb that in the net result of what we're anticipating in the way of revenue next year," Rauscher said. "Relative to committing $940,000 to school choice spending next year, that would leave us with a projected balance at the end of FY 26 of a little over $1.2 million, and that's about 6 percent of our operating budget."
 
But committee members expressed concerns about drawing down school choice funds that are projected to decrease in coming years. 
 
"I think mostly we're going to go through this and we're going to see things that this just can't be cut, right? It's just, it is what it is, and if we want to provide, what we can provide," said Richard Alcombright. "How do we prepare for this, this revenue shortfall?"
 
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