K-8 Educational Space Needs Assessment Underway

The North Adams School Committee, in February, authorized the hiring of an independent professional consultant to do an educational space needs assessment of the proposed K-8 grade reconfiguration. This consultant is NESDEC (New England School Development Council). NESDEC represents approximately 400 cities and towns in the Northeast.

Specifically for the North Adams schools, NESDEC will analyze and appraise the present and future educational space needs in relation to PreK-8 school facilities in the school district. There is a detailed, multi-page, description of exactly what they will be doing – too much to outline here. Community input will be part of the process.

Their work has begun. They recently met with the Mayor independently, followed by a group meeting with the Superintendent of Schools Jim Montepare, other school administration and myself. The School District and the City of North Adams are gathering historical demographic information and historical enrollment numbers that NESDEC will use to begin their facility space assessments.

They’ll be back later this month spending two days touring and analyzing the three elementary school facilities and Conte Middle School.

The complete process is expected to be done within four months, and the final report will be presented to the School Committee.