Berkshire Hills School District Earns Top SP1+ Bond Rating for High School Project

LENOX — May 21, 2026 — Berkshire Hills school district secures top bond rating as ESL program exits record 14 students. The Berkshire Hills Regional School District School Committee learned Wednesday that its bond anticipation notes received an SP1+ rating from S&P Global — the highest possible — allowing the district to borrow the first tranche of up to $16 million for its high school construction project at favorable interest rates, according to Superintendent Peter Dillon, who credited Treasurer Kristen, School Committee member Steve Soule, and bond counsel Ben Oglesby. In a separate highlight, ESL teacher Christine Martin reported that 14 multilingual learners at Muddybrook Elementary were reclassified and exited ESL services this year, against a typical annual range of two to five — a result Dillon called potentially more significant than the school's AP scores. Muddybrook Principal Cynthia Carrie also announced that staff selected Fishtank ELA as the school's new literacy curriculum following a PRISM grant-funded pilot of two programs. The committee took a first reading of three policies on technology use and social media, with the social media policy expected to return for revision, and School Committee member Bill called on the committee to go on record opposing a state graduation requirements commission report he said would impose unfunded mandates on local districts.