School Committee adopts amended tech policy on 7-1 vote

School Committee · Meeting of June 4, 2026

Great Barrington's Berkshire Hills school committee splits 7-1 on coach communication rule. Chair Sarah Kennedy presided as the board approved an amended Policy GBEE, personal use of technology, after members debated whether coaches should be barred from messaging team captains or informal student leadership groups apart from the full roster; member Jason cast the lone "no" vote. Buildings and grounds subcommittee chair Bill Fields flagged an aging 1968 scoreboard needing roughly $75,000 to replace, a degrading track nearing the end of its 20-year lifespan, and a roughly $275,000 solar panel and inverter project.

Muddybrook Principal Cynthia Carey announced the district's long-awaited chiller "came today," delivered by crane. Administrators reported more than $700,000 in community-based scholarships awarded at that day's Senior Awards Ceremony. The committee also voted unanimously to create a new account for Mountainside preschool tuition revenue and to approve Policy IHBF, homebound instruction, on second reading.

In the full story:

• Who Was There
• Organizations And Documents Referenced
• The complete report — 2,646 words

Source: the School Committee meeting of June 4, 2026, reported from the official video recording and transcript.