Northampton school budget hearing draws sharp public concern over special education, staffing and reading gains

Northampton ' At a March 27 public hearing on the proposed fiscal 2026 budget, the Northampton School Committee heard sustained public comment urging adoption of the district's "strong" budget option, which administrators say would restore positions cut in recent years and add staff targeted at reading and social-emotional supports.

The hearing brought multiple speakers from across the city to the podium, including parents and current and former school staff who described long-standing staffing shortfalls and disparities among elementary schools. A parent said the district's actions had crossed legal lines, and asked the committee for an independent investigation and immediate personnel actions.

The budget discussion centered on three options presented by Superintendent Dr. Bonnie Bonner: a city fiscal-target proposal (referred to publicly as the "4%" option), a level-services option and a stronger, 13.24% request developed from building-level needs. Dr. Bonner said the strong budget "captures some of the positions that were cut last year" and would expand interventionists, coaches and other staff to implement the district improvement plan.

Why it matters: Committee members and many public speakers said adopting the strong budget would give the district a realistic chance to reverse declines in staffing, reduce high class sizes at the secondary level and expand literacy interventions students need now. The mayor, citing municipal revenue forecasts and rising fixed costs, said the city's…