Pioneer Valley Regional School is a public regional comprehensive secondary school located in Northfield, Massachusetts, United States. It offers grades seven through twelve. It is the primary high school for the towns of Leyden, Northfield, Warwick and Bernardston, Massachusetts. It is also an alternative for students from the neighboring town of Vernon, Vermont. The school was founded in 1776.HistoryThe Pioneer Valley School District was formed in 1991 following an agreement by the four towns involved: Leyden, Northfield, Warwick, and Bernardston. All four elementary schools feed into Pioneer.A second expansion was made in 1992, expanding the high school portion and overhauling the auditorium.GovernanceSince the formation of the Pioneer Valley Regional School District, Pioneer Valley Regional School has fallen under the jurisdiction of the district's twelve-member school committee, made up of three members from each of the four towns. Though students from Vernon, Vermont are allowed to attend Pioneer, Vernon has no seat at the committee.CriticismThe school has repeatedly failed to meet state educational goals, with the school being located in the 41st percentile of MCAS test scores. The average SAT scores for the school were, as of 2014, average.
