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The mission of the Berkshire Union Free School District is "to provide a diversified and quality educational program, which will prepare each student to graduate from high school and return to his community as a contributing and successful member of society."

Our philosophy is that students learn best when they feel safe to engage.  This is accomplished through building supportive relationships.  We believe a therapeutic and trauma informed classroom model that is culturally responsive promotes supportive relationships.  Using a restorative practices approach, allowing students to be responsible for and learn from their behaviors will maximize the impact we have with them which best prepares them to return to their community and school.

We believe instruction must be specially designed and interactive.  This is best accomplished using a blended learning model; multiple activities within the classroom including both direct instruction and independent work.  We also believe building academic, social-emotional and work-based learning skills is most critical to empowering each student to maximize their experience with us.

Contact:
Main Telephone (518) 781-3500
Bruce Potter, Superintendent, ext. 3545

Residential School and Day Program

Berkshire Jr/Sr HS offers three distinct programs serving males grades 7-12. 

An 8:1:2 self-contained model utilizing a departmentalized approach for students with social-emotional needs or an ED classification. This Regents level program has dedicated classroom teacher aides providing consistency with certified content teachers and teaching assistants pushing in for each academic period.

A 6:1:2 self-contained model with a dedicated team consisting of a certified special education teacher, classroom crisis counselor/behavior specialist and teaching assistant. This program is designed to support emotionally disturbed students who also demonstrate mental health concerns such as: anxiety disorders, mood disorders, history of suicide ideation.

A 6:1:2 class designed to support students placed at Berkshire prioritizing recovery from substance abuse.   With core academic subject teachers pushing into the therapeutic milieu there is a constant support of the student’s primary referral issue while focusing on core academics enabling students to return to their community school ready to re-engage in learning.  All school faculty working in this program have received 15 hours of targeted OASAS training to best understand and support the needs of our students as they work through this intensive 120 day residential-school program.

Community School and Day Program

Located at 11 Warren Street in Hudson, NY, the Warren Street Academy was created by a Special Act of the NYS Legislature in June 2013 and signed into law later that year by Governor Cuomo.  The school’s creation was in partnership with local community schools to assist in making high school graduation a reality for all.  The school vision encapsulates every aspect of the program design; "Together we believe we can guide our students to develop and achieve academic and emotional skills necessary to graduate and be thriving, confident and valued members of the community."

The least restrictive of Berkshire’s continuum, the Warren Street Academy, also known as “The Bridge” provides two distinct academic programs.  An Alternative Transition Program serving students most at-risk for dropping out of high school.  This NYS certified program is for students at least 16 years of age and behind multiple credits from their graduation cohort.  We also offer 8:1:2 special education programming in a small school setting. Our special education students have flourished in the intimate, family setting where there is an entire culture of embedded support. Literally, this is a school where everyone knows your name! 

Career Development and Occupational Studies (C-DOS)

Commencement Credential

Berkshire has created both academic coursework and authentic work experiences in our Work Based Learning Program.  At the Jr/Sr HS work experience is embedded in the school day through paid experiences in culinary, trades, horticulture or custodial.  At the Warren Street Academy there is internal paid work opportunities in the custodial program and there are community-based work opportunities at local businesses in the form of paid externships.  In both programs, students are supported with job coaches, receive real time feedback in the form of rubrics, and create career plans.