Town Government
School Committee & Superintendent
The Superintendent
Brian Ricca
About 593 students start their day in the Southern Berkshire Regional School District, and the person who answers for their schooling answers to five towns at once. Brian Ricca is Superintendent of the district, the shared PreK-12 system that serves Alford, Egremont, Sheffield, Monterey, and New Marlborough. Alford has no school of its own and never has: its students travel to the district’s schools in the neighboring towns, from the elementary grades through Mount Everett Regional School in Sheffield. The Superintendent proposes the school budget, sets academic priorities, and is hired by and reports to the elected regional School Committee, which carries out an annual evaluation.
| Role | Superintendent of Schools, Southern Berkshire Regional School District |
|---|---|
| District office | 491 Berkshire School Road, Sheffield, MA 01257 |
| Phone | 413-229-8778 |
| Website | sbrsd.org |
The School Committee
The Southern Berkshire Regional School Committee has ten members, elected by the voters of the five member towns and apportioned among them, and it sets policy for the whole district, approves its budget, and hires and evaluates the Superintendent. Alford fills one of the ten seats, held by Carl Stewart, so an Alford resident who runs and wins carries a real vote over a district budget that reaches every town in the valley. The committee’s officers are Julie Hannum of Sheffield as Chair and Amy Bainbridge-Jordan of Sheffield as Vice Chair.
Julie Hannum
Amy Bainbridge-Jordan
Carl Stewart
James DiPisa
Kimberly Alcantara
Arthur J. Batacchi, Jr.
E. Bonnie Silvers
Robert Kilmer
Miguel Mir
Nanci Worthington
Full roster and terms: Southern Berkshire Regional School Committee at sbrsd.org.
The District at a Glance
- Southern Berkshire Regional: 593 students, four schools, PreK through grade 12, shared across five towns.
- Schools: South Egremont School, Undermountain School, New Marlborough Central School, and Mount Everett Regional School (grades 7 to 12).
- Per-pupil spending: $33,162.30 in-district.
- State data: DESE profile (code 07650000).
Meetings & Participation
- When: the regional committee’s agendas and minutes are posted by school year on the district website, sbrsd.org.
- Public comment: residents of any member town may address the committee. Check the agenda for sign-up details.
- Your seat: Alford elects its own member of the regional committee, so a town resident can run for the seat that helps govern the whole district.
- The budget: the district’s assessment to Alford still lands at the town’s Annual Town Meeting, where every registered voter can vote on it.
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