According to a Sept.22, 2026, report from the Massachusetts DESE (Department of Elementary and Secondary Education), Pioneer Regional High School and Middle School has a 73% overall performance classification compared to all schools in the state of Massachusetts. This classification means that this Pioneer secondary school district is currently performing better than 73% of the secondary schools in the State.
Conversely, DESE reports that Turners Falls High School and Great Falls Middle School have overall performance classifications of 12% and 11%, respectively. Yet, on Oct. 6, Pioneer parents and Northfield, Bernardston, Leyden and Warwick citizens are being asked to cast a positive vote to combine their current exceptional school district with an underwhelming Gill-Montague Regional School District to create a new six-town regional school district.
The proposed governance structure is also highly concerning. The new district would have a School Committee featuring only two members from Northfield, two from Bernardston, one from Leyden, two from Gill, one from Warwick — but a dominant five members representing Montague alone.
Furthermore, having attended local presentations on this proposed merger, it’s deeply troubling that no clear financial projections or ramifications to our town budgets have been provided by the committee, nor by our own Finance Committee. This could cost us dearly. For instance, the committee has stated that teacher positions will not be reduced, but teacher salaries at Gill-Montague are lower than those at Pioneer Regional, so wouldn’t salaries inevitably have to be leveled up to align with the higher Pioneer pay scale, spiking our local costs?
If we truly want better education for our children, do we really want to subject them to a lower academic standard and abandon everything we have invested in our Pioneer Valley membership? I urge residents to consider these facts and vote thoughtfully on Oct. 6.
James Brodeur
Leyden