Northampton students and parents decry NHS scheduling crisis; committee authorizes immediate hires and seeks follow-up funding

Northampton — Students, parents and school staff told the Northampton School Committee on June 10 that recent budget cuts left Northampton High School (NHS) unable to run enough course sections, creating “holes” in many seniors’ schedules and forcing some students to consider taking multiple classes off campus.

The committee heard more than a dozen public comments from NHS students, parents and paraeducators describing the scale of the problem and the impacts on college preparation and daily life. “This huge problem could be solved by hiring the teachers that NHS needs,” student Anna Lucia Ohm said. Zara Sman, newly elected president of the student union, told the committee, “I am literally unable to take classes at my own high school.”

The comments described common situations: seniors with an empty period because no class was offered at that time, students forced into asynchronous college classes at Smith College, and students who face scheduling shifts that could hurt college admissions. Parents and paraeducators added that the pressure is especially acute for students with IEPs and for families without flexible transportation or evening availability.

Why it matters: Committee members said they view the scheduling failures as the direct result of prior budget reductions and of insufficient teacher staffing at NHS. Members and the public framed this as a district‑level resource and equity problem because the loss of high‑level course options affects students’ competitiveness for selective colleges and can move coursework off campus in ways that disadvantage families without extra time or money.

What the committee did: Following public comment and debate, the committee voted to authorize the superintendent to act quickly to address the urgent need at NHS. The motion directs the superintendent to pursue immediate hiring to restore two prioritized positions at the high school and to restore funding for the school garden program; remaining potential uses of newly identified funds will return to the committee at a special meeting on June 25 for further decisions. The committee also asked administration to prepare postings so positions can be advertised immediately.

Discussion and dissent: Members debated whether to use one‑time savings identified by the mayor’s office and IT cost adjustments to pay for recurring personnel costs. Some members argued that one‑time funds should not be used for ongoing salaries; others said the urgency of students’ scheduling harm required immediate action and that the committee could seek recurring funding later. After amendments and a roll‑call process, the committee approved the authorization and directed administration to report back.

Next steps: The superintendent and high‑school principal said they would post the positions and pursue hires, then return to the committee on June 25 with recommendations for the remaining newly identified funds and possible additional requests. The committee also signaled it would examine the district’s broader staffing and budget choices in August as part of multi‑year financial planning.

Ending: Committee members thanked students, parents and staff for detailed testimony and said they would treat the scheduling failures as a priority for the summer hiring cycle, while reserving further decisions about long‑term funding for the upcoming budget cycle.