The steering committee tasked with overseeing a sustainability study that examines the various challenges faced by the Mohawk Trail and Hawlemont Regional school districts is ready to move into Phase 3, which will entail a deeper analysis of the data and developing solutions.

The 13-member committee, called the 2 District, 8 Town Steering Committee, or 2D8T, was created to answer a not-so-simple question: How can we address the current needs of students in western Franklin County? Enrollment is down, costs are up, and the way education is looked at in the school districts may need to change.

Pittsfield-based Berkshire Educational Resources K-12 (BERK12) research team was called in to help identify how the two districts can provide the best education for students while managing the fiscal limitations of the eight member towns (Ashfield, Buckland, Charlemont, Colrain, Hawley, Heath, Plainfield and Shelburne). The sustainability study is being funded by a $250,000 Community Compact grant.

According to a facility report compiled by BERK12, the two school districts have five operational schools that have a combined capacity for 2,012 students. For the 2023-2024 school year, however, the districts had just 862 students enrolled, filling 43% of classroom space.

“The net finding, as we examine space and enrollment, is that the schools are significantly under capacity,” the report reads. “Given current (2023-24) enrollments and our estimates based on the number of students the school can hold, of the five schools, three are under 50% capacity, with Hawlemont [Regional School] at 23% capacity and [Mohawk Trail Regional School] at 33%. Sanderson [Academy] is slightly above half full (53%), and Buckland-Shelburne [Elementary School] is the only school that you could argue is at a reasonably (comfortable) capacity (70%).”

BERK12’s enrollment report added that Franklin County’s population has decreased over the past decade, and thus, so has the population of students. These numbers are expected to continue to decline.

“The two school districts will continue to see a decline in overall enrollment over the next 10 years,” the report continues. “The (Berkshire Regional Planning Commission) projections predict a decline in overall enrollment from 862 students in 2024 to 525 students by 2035, a decrease of 337 students.”

In addition to being undercapacity, the report mentions the buildings are aging. The school with the most recent major renovation was Hawlemont Regional School, which was renovated in 2003.

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The report recommends nearly $1.67 million in repairs and upgrades across the five schools, including sidewalk and parking lot repairs, water pump and valve upgrades, painting, carpet replacement and bathroom renovations.

While the reports have yet to provide specific recommendations for the future, the facilities report showcased different configurations of how students could fit into other buildings if future data analysis and community conversations deem a school closure to be necessary.

Still under review are reports on education, finance and personnel, community outreach and special education.

A presentation of the study results and the options that are considered to be most promising so far will take place on Thursday, Sept. 19, at 5:30 p.m. The 2 District, 8 Town Steering Committee meeting and presentation will take place in the superintendent’s conference room at Mohawk Trail Regional School.

The public is invited to attend, as well as submit questions and comments ahead of time at 2districts8towns.org The full reports are also available on the website.

The 2 District, 8 Town Steering Committee hopes to gather further public feedback in the coming months and finalize recommendations for the future, with a goal of having a final report ready by late spring or summer 2025.

Reach Madison Schofield at 413-930-4579 or mschofield@recorder.com.

An earlier version of this article incorrectly described two aspects of Berkshire Educational Resources K-12’s reports examining operations at the Mohawk Trail and Hawlemont Regional school districts. In regards to condition of school buildings, the research team noted the facilities are aging. Additionally, while the reports have yet to provide specific recommendations for the future, the facilities report showcased different configurations of how students could fit into other buildings if future data analysis and conversations deem a school closure to be necessary.