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School committee approves $150,000 Bar Foundation renewal and clears superintendents Panama trip (9-1)
Summary
The Berkshire Hills Regional School District committee unanimously accepted a one-year $150,000 Bar Foundation renewal to support professional learning and restorative-justice work, and approved the superintendents EF Tours-sponsored trip to Panama by a 9-1 vote. The committee discussed trip timing and whether it constitutes official work time.
The Berkshire Hills Regional School District School Committee approved two notable items at its recent hybrid meeting: a one-year, $150,000 renewal from the Bar Foundation to support professional learning, restorative-justice work and student-adult advisory programming, and the superintendents participation in an EF Tours-sponsored delegation to Panama.
Superintendent (Superintendent) asked the committee to accept the Bar Foundation renewal, saying the funds would support "professional learning, some summer work and continued work with the student-adult Advisory Board," among other uses. A committee member moved the grant approval; the motion passed unanimously.
On the Panama trip, the superintendent disclosed that EF Tours would cover the cost of the five-day visit, described the agenda (canal history, a service day and sustainability programming) and asked for committee approval under state ethics rules that require prior permission for sponsored travel. Committee members discussed whether the trip would count as official work time or personal time; the superintendent said it could be either, depending on scheduling and vacation use.
The committee approved the superintendents participation by a 9-1 vote. The record provided a tally (yes: 9; no: 1) but did not attribute individual yes/no votes to specific members in the transcript.
Both approvals included transparency steps: the grant acceptance was described with program allocations and the trip request included an agenda and a statement that the trip cost would be covered by EF Tours.
The committee did not assign additional conditions to either approval during the meeting. The Bar Foundation award will be recorded in district financial records, and the superintendent indicated he would file the required travel paperwork per district procedures.
