[{"_1":2,"_87":-5,"_88":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6330705,"mediaKeyId","2313699-082d994080544bfbe78a26ea441c126f","parentId",2313699,"title","After hours of public comment on special education and staffing, Northampton committee votes to seek $600,000 midyear appropriation","audioSeconds",1927,"startMs",1789000,"endMs",3716000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2313699-082d994080544bfbe78a26ea441c126f&start=1789&end=3716","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2313699-082d994080544bfbe78a26ea441c126f/thumbnail_1789000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6330705/Northampton-Public-Schools/School-Boards/Massachusetts/After-hours-of-public-comment-on-special-education-and-staffing-Northampton-committee-votes-to-seek-600000-midyear-appropriation","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6330705-8c77807fc39ba07d1c439ff0bf7c8c3c/orig.mp4?Expires=1771186906&Signature=jI5VqwX5Y1KEpIr7UDZcZ4dIyf7b01Vsu9pTQxqBcO2S5Q2DqPPm0lT2ljWzg-hzJRtWuWf7yYkUyTXkH9M7cJcmComwIK67FnKfge~KQLPx179HZIQZ7hW3tNcmuM2-NCDjBgBtkjIiKrrNzry4jy0Ai2SQFfPCii44F9eNnduoAe-32qdyYyXE7WYqJ9qCZgQmDgfNK-8gr2HV06AvWy-rooEE7wUhgFcNdMehKQH4wOyP8bqYx7pWDxi2xooRKBsqMP24CnHLXp9Q5i0x9h2Dl8GsZVbrPOsHXMnxUlO0bRE~Q5mvBVQhpWjeOn4gvXJJq42rQ3fX7YqU8~Fv9g__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Northampton Public Schools, MA","date","2025-02-14T04:24:57Z","article","Northampton — The Northampton School Committee voted 8–2 on Feb. 13 to direct the superintendent to request a $600,000 midyear appropriation from the city after several hours of public comment alleging missed special-education services, staff shortages and safety incidents in district schools.

The vote came after more than an hour of public testimony from teachers, parents and other community members who described classroom violence, staff assaults, long waits for interventions and declines in reading achievement among students with individualized education programs (IEPs). Committee members debated the timing and fiscal consequences of a midyear funding request before approving a motion that calls for immediate action.

Public testimony: teachers, parents and specialists describe systemic strain
Public comment predominated the meeting and featured detailed first‑hand accounts from staff and families. Kimberly Schlichting, a world-language teacher at JFK Middle School, told the committee that world-language staffing and schedule changes left her responsible for more than 150 students this year and urged restoration of positions so students could access language classes earlier in their education.

Kate Fontaine, History and Social Studies department chair and a leader with the Northampton Association of School Employees, read a list of reported staff assaults dating to August and said the district faces a staffing problem that affects safety and instruction. \"We have a staffing issue problem. My question to this body that's elected to oversee the schools is how are we gonna meet the needs of our kids, protect the safety of all, and how are we gonna fix this?\" Fontaine told the committee.

Parents and advocates described widespread IEP violations and long-standing literacy shortfalls. Jennifer James, a parent and member of the district’s dyslexia committee, said: \"We know, and you know, that Northampton High School is graduating kids that can't read.\" Andrea Bertini, a parent who cited winter iReady diagnostic scores, told the committee that among students with IEPs she reviewed, roughly 70% of sixth-graders, 63% of seventh-graders and 77% of eighth-graders were below grade level in reading; she added that 52% of students on IEPs in eighth grade were three or more grade levels behind.

Several special-education staff and parents said the district’s cuts have forced administrators into constant triage. A middle-school staff member who identified themselves as a special-education teacher said they had submitted a resignation because they could not continue working amid what they described as unsafe, understaffed conditions. \"I put in my notice of resignation today, because I can no longer deal with physically or mentally the crisis at JFK Middle School,\" the teacher said.

Superintendent and committee discussion on an urgent funding request
Member Mike Stein moved to instruct the superintendent to request a midyear appropriation from the mayor and city council of $600,000 to restore staff and services. Stein said the request would allow administrators to fill urgent positions quickly and return with line-item recommendations. \"If we put a dollar figure on it...we can decide which ones those are. The Alt team can present a recommendation,\" Stein said.

Superintendent Augustine Bonner cautioned that midyear hiring faces contractual and timeline complications, and that many hires made after the school year begins are treated in staffing contracts as provisional. \"Some of our contract language, particularly unit A, is that if we hire after the start of the school year, it is an automatic pink slip at the end of the year,\" Bonner said, describing the hiring risk for staff asked to accept midyear roles.

Mayor Julie Sharra, who also chairs the committee, warned members that midyear dollars that are not built into recurring revenue can create recurring shortfalls in future budgets. The mayor outlined the city's fiscal-stability practice of relying on conservative recurring‑revenue projections and treating certified free cash as a nonrecurring resource.

The committee voted 8–2 to instruct the superintendent to request the midyear appropriation. The motion was made by Member Mike Stein and seconded by Member Sarah V. Cox. Members Davis and Mayor Sharra voted no; the motion carried.

Other votes at the meeting
- MSBA: The committee authorized the superintendent to submit two Statements of Interest to the Massachusetts School Building Authority (MSBA) — one for a JFK Middle School roof replacement and one for a possible heat‑pump conversion to replace aging boilers and add cooling. The motion passed 9–1, with Member Stein casting the lone no vote. Members debated referring the application to the Budget and Property Subcommittee for further review, but approved the statements in order to meet the MSBA statement-of-interest deadline.

- Technology budget transfer: The committee approved a $20,000 intra‑departmental transfer to cover software renewals and an Aspen annual invoice; the transfer passed unanimously.

What committee members said in debate
Supporters of the appropriation argued urgency: Member Stein said the district was in crisis for students and staff and that a lump-sum request would allow administrators to implement targeted restorations without further delay. \"We can't control if we get the money, but we can control whether or not we ask for it,\" Stein said.

Opponents warned about recurring cost risks. Mayor Sharra said she had previously used one‑time funds to bridge problems and warned that reverting to nonrecurring solutions could reintroduce deficits that require later cuts. \"You have to understand that unless you're talking about just doing a three-month one-time fund...unless it's built into the base...it's gonna turn into a deficit,\" she said.

Next steps and community context
Superintendent Bonner said he would work with his administrative leadership team to prepare a formal request to the city and to prioritize hires or services to be included if the city approves funds; he noted the time required for posting, hiring and integrating new staff would put many hires into March and April. Members of the Budget and Property Subcommittee and other committee chairs signaled they would also press for a fuller discussion of specific staffing priorities and the longer-term fiscal plan during the regular budget process.

Public records and evidence cited at the meeting included a parent and teacher‑compiled list of staff injuries and a set of current iReady diagnostic results presented by parents. Several speakers asked the committee to make special-education services a top priority for any new funds and to consider urgent, recurring restorations for paraeducators, interventionists and reading support.

The committee ended the business portion of the meeting and moved to executive session on personnel and strategy. The superintendent and committee chair said they would return with administrative choices and timelines for any approved midyear funds.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Northampton School Committee | February 13, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","Following extensive public comment from teachers, parents and staff about unmet IEPs, staffing shortages and classroom safety, the Northampton School Committee voted 8–2 to instruct the superintendent to request a $600,000 midyear appropriation from the mayor and city council.","taxTitle","Northampton Public Schools, School Boards, Massachusetts","taxId",51089,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6330710,"Northampton students explain changes to NHS \"flex\" period as committee hears safety, sign-up results",882,95000,977000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2313699-082d994080544bfbe78a26ea441c126f&start=95&end=977","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2313699-082d994080544bfbe78a26ea441c126f/thumbnail_95000.jpg","/articles/6330710/Northampton-Public-Schools/School-Boards/Massachusetts/Northampton-students-explain-changes-to-NHS-flex-period-as-committee-hears-safety-sign-up-results","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6330710-e32a5b170974e162f2b2132d12f8e459/orig.mp4?Expires=1771186906&Signature=O~HpEhOGdaG240pi1JtzCPBWN2agkcaaTHxUEn5FaSY91w1VqDfI3XQ7EjKOlfbzwHxKR~47A6XLMVvgKotuHc-VWcdpGoIQAlMXCGNdPO6nz9Xtkv~K1HisiR0YTvU7z3z6eN5FTOj4jzLr0skuyFB1sPT~BS57jDNCeSlrPGutCypxEmAdfWBbIYUvNUX7ZzGzaI52pllP2J82LfzVlI0-2wJqhkJQUhQm1VuNkKr35~UXrfuM9YFaYvvuCSY99qzje00f65L8-g3KqJfj6sAXid6rX3~rjTC7S~E9QtpNflpHPz06uZIj1Zu8JfVF6IxzcGxC2d3REtZUovw6Ag__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","Northampton — Students who run the NHS Student Union updated the school committee on Feb. 13 on revisions to the high school’s flex period, saying new sign-up and placement rules have improved safety and attendance.

Flex is a 35-minute block between first and second period in which students can get academic help, meet with clubs, make up tardies or study. Student presenters said the major change this semester is that students who do not sign up in advance on the school’s scheduling site, My Flex Learning, are automatically placed in their first-period classroom for the duration of flex rather than being sent to a large, unsupervised cafeteria landing place.

The change, NHS students told the committee, reduced crowding in hallways and made it easier for teachers to account for students during drills and emergencies. \"Flex is a 35 minute long block in between first and second period where students choose a classroom to get help on work, get homework done, meet with clubs, make up tardies,\" said Cielo Knox, a freshman and member of the NHS Student Union. Knox and other students described the policy shift as responding to safety concerns raised last semester.

Why it matters: Student leaders said the new procedures were adopted after attendance and sign-up gaps left staff unable to account for large numbers of students during drills or lockdowns. The Student Union also presented results from a district survey it said asked whether flex should continue; students reported near-universal support for keeping flex as currently scheduled.

What changed and why
Students said last semester many who did not pre‑register were gathered into the cafeteria and only a small fraction actually attended that supervised location, which created safety and accountability problems. \"This semester if they don't sign up for flex they will automatically be placed into their first period class so they will stay there until flex is over,\" Knox said, explaining the district’s revised default placement. The students said sign-ups remain open up until five minutes before flex starts, and students may change their selection during period 1 if they need different help that day.

Student presenters said the policy that moved large numbers of nonsignups into auditorium check-ins — described by students as an auditorium-wide meeting or mass detention — has been phased out and replaced with individual follow-up. \"That change is very much marketed to us students as like, you all wanted to keep flex...but we can't keep flex if it isn't safe,\" said Zara Smond, a junior.

Survey and compliance metrics
The Student Union said a survey sent to the student body produced 536 responses and that \"98.7 percent of students saying we should keep flex.\" Presenters also said compliance improved: more than 97 percent of students now attend the flex location they are signed up for, a sharp improvement from the prior semester when hundreds were signed up but only dozens attended.

Students and committee members also flagged operational frictions. Presenters said Caps set in My Flex Learning sometimes defaulted to 15 for rooms that could safely hold 25 or more students; when nonsignups are placed in a first-period teacher’s room, that can fill slots and prevent other students from getting into the flex they want. \"It can fill up really, really fast,\" said Scarlett Bowman, a sophomore. Students said staff were trying to address cap settings on a teacher-by-teacher basis.

Committee members pressed on logistics and equity
Member LaBounty asked whether students can sign up in advance for help needed later in the week; student presenters confirmed they can sign up days or weeks ahead and may change selections during period 1, short of the last minute. Member Agna asked whether the new rules had meaningfully improved school climate; student presenters said the pattern had shifted — those who previously used halls or bathrooms as unsupervised spaces now were more consistently in assigned classrooms, though persistent problems such as vaping in bathrooms remain.

Member Miller asked how students choose between attending a club and getting class help during flex. \"A lot of times people will go to the club that they usually go to, but most people aren't in a club every day of the week,\" student presenter Analicia Ohm said, adding that many clubs also meet after school and that reassessments often allow students to plan flex attendance over a two-week window.

What the district still needs to fix
Student presenters said caps and teacher switching during period start times remain irritants. They also asked for continued communication and minor system tweaks from staff to adjust caps that are too small for larger spaces, such as band rooms. The Student Union asked the committee to note the improvements but continue working with students to refine capacity and sign-up processes.

The school committee thanked the students for presenting their findings and asked that administrators keep the committee updated on operational follow-up. No formal vote or policy change was taken by the committee at the meeting; the presentation was accepted as an informational update.","Students from Northampton High School told the school committee that new sign-up rules and tracking have sharply reduced unsupervised hallway movement during the 35-minute flex period, and presented survey results showing near-unanimous student support for keeping flex.","actionData","errors"]

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After hours of public comment on special education and staffing, Northampton committee votes to seek $600,000 midyear appropriation

Northampton students explain changes to NHS "flex" period as committee hears safety, sign-up results