Northampton public speakers, union and school committee spar over staff reductions after mayor’s budget proposal

Northampton — The Northampton School Committee heard more than an hour of public comment May 8 from teachers, parents and union leaders alarmed by proposed budget reductions that school administrators say will eliminate 4.25 full-time equivalent positions and reduce services across the district.

The most repeated concern centered on the elimination of the Northampton High School technology integration specialist. "This news was shocking," Michelle Eastman told the committee, identifying herself as the long‑time tech integration specialist who was involuntarily transferred after the district revised next year’s staffing plan. "Next year will be a challenging year for the Northampton High School community without a tech integration specialist," she said.

Those remarks were echoed by colleagues and union leaders who warned of immediate effects on classroom technology support, assistive technology services tied to students’ IEPs, and teacher capacity. Kate Zach, the district’s digital literacy and computer science director, said the position blends direct student instruction with teacher support and restorative‑practice work; "Michelle is an incredible asset to our school community who has worked for Northampton for 15 years," she said.

The Northampton Association of School Employees (NACE) reported a separate action: union leaders told the committee members that bargaining unit members voted by an overwhelming majority to begin a work‑to‑rule action starting May 12, citing what the union called inadequate compensation under the mayor’s proposed appropriation.

Administrators and school committee members gave a budget update during the meeting. Superintendent Bonner and the business manager said the district’s "strong budget" request totals $46,610,090 (a 12.43% increase) while the mayor’s proposed appropriation is $44,330,022 (a 5.88% increase), a difference administrators described as $655,722 short of level‑service needs. The superintendent identified two immediate staffing needs: restoring a special‑education teacher at Ryan Road (returning that school to six special‑education teachers) and adding one special‑education teacher at the high school. The administration said it would try to absorb positions through salary savings, state aid, or a request to the district’s special‑education stabilization fund if necessary.

Public commenters pressed for different remedies. Teachers described a drain on classroom morale and said some experienced staff are leaving because they can’t support themselves. Parent and community speakers asked the committee to press the city council for more funding and to reconsider cuts affecting tutors, reading/math intervention, and clerical support for schools.

The committee debated whether to send a formal recommendation to the City Council urging it to "opt in" under Chapter 3, 29 of the Acts of 1987 — a procedural step that would allow the council to consider a different appropriation for the schools. Mayor Jean Louis Sherra moved that recommendation; the vote resulted in a tie and the recommendation failed by an even margin (5–5). Several committee members who opposed sending the recommendation said they feared the step could force painful tradeoffs across city departments or lock the city into multi‑year budget dynamics.

Committee members and staff described midyear hiring tied to the additional funds the committee had previously approved: some posts created in the middle of the year are filled, but several special‑education and clerical vacancies remain. The business manager reported that Ryan Road had hired both a special‑education teacher and a tiered support para; Leeds and Jackson Street had filled several tutor and teaching posts, but JFK and Bridge Street still listed key vacancies, including a high‑school special‑education teacher and school psychologist.

What’s next: Superintendent Bonner will present the district’s appropriation request to the mayor and City Council in coming weeks. Committee members said they plan further meetings of the budget and property subcommittee to consider one‑time funding options and to track hires and vacancies over the summer. NACE leaders said the union’s work‑to‑rule action would begin May 12 unless contract talks change course.

Because several speakers raised special‑education implementation and alleged legal concerns, the committee’s counsel advised that some follow‑up should proceed privately with counsel; the committee later discussed that advice in executive session.