March 7, 2026

St. Mary’s High School to offer bus route to Lee

REGIONAL
By Carolee McGrath

WESTFIELD – St. Mary’s High School in Westfield will offer a bus route to Lee for the 2026-2027 academic year. The new route will allow students from the Berkshires to attend a Catholic high school for the first time in several years.

“We have been trying for years now to bridge the gap for Catholic education for kids from the Lee area and Berkshires who go to St. Mary’s in Lee or any of the other schools who just don’t have the option since St. Joseph’s (high school) closed in Pittsfield in 2017,” said Matt Collins, the principal of St. Mary’s High School. “So this will be available for morning pick-up and afternoon drop off.”

Three donors made is possible for St. Mary’s High School to purchase the van, the school’s third. 12

Three generous donors, the Sarat Ford Auto Group, the Beveridge Foundation, and a school family, made it possible for St. Mary’s High School to purchase the new van, which will have the St. Mary’s logo on it.

“Since we put this up on social media we have people from Otis and Blandford wanting to know if we can go there, so we already added another stop,” Collins said.

St. Mary’s High School also seen the largest number of applicants in 10 years for the incoming freshman class. Two students from the Berkshires have registered so far.

A video version of this story will be featured on Saturday’s edition of “Real to Reel,” which airs Saturday evenings at 7 p.m. on WWLP-22NEWS.