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School Committee accepts $294,833 midyear appropriation, amends acceptance to follow superintendent recommendations
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Summary
The committee voted to accept a city council midyear appropriation of $294,833.02 and approved an amendment directing expenditures to follow the superintendent's recommended line‑item priorities.
The Northampton School Committee voted March 13 to accept a $294,833.02 midyear appropriation approved by the City Council on March 6. The committee also amended the motion to require that spending of the funds follow priorities recommended by Superintendent Portia Bonner.
Member Hennessy moved to accept the appropriation; Member LaBonte seconded. Member Stein offered a non‑friendly amendment asking that expenditures align with the superintendent’s recommended positions and line items. The amendment passed by voice vote and the amended motion to accept the appropriation carried.
During discussion multiple committee members pressed for greater clarity on how the midyear funds were packaged and distributed before the City Council vote. Member Stein said she was “very frustrated” the appropriation returned to the committee as a per‑pupil, per‑building disbursement rather than an explicit list of positions and line items. “I didn't really see needs at the center of this,” Stein said, urging the committee to set line‑item priorities and seek transparency about communications between the superintendent’s office and principals.
Superintendent Bonner and Business Manager Bobbi Jones said many of the positions requested by principals were included in the district’s midyear requests but that principals and bargaining units had raised different priorities. Director of Student Services Matthew Holloway said he would unpack special‑education staffing needs and options at upcoming Budget & Property subcommittee meetings.
Why it matters: The midyear funds are a one‑time injection that committee members said could provide staffing and program relief this year. Members who pressed for the amendment said they wanted clearer accountability over how those dollars would be spent; proponents of the appropriation said moving the money quickly into district payroll and programming was also urgent.
The committee approved the amended motion by voice vote; members recorded no objections or formal tallies in the public record.
