Public commenters at the Jan. 8 Northampton School Committee meeting pressed the new committee to act on school funding and raised an allegation about an in-person confrontation involving the mayor’s husband.

Gaurav Jasnani urged the committee to seek a midyear appropriation to restore staffing the committee had approved in its 'strong' budget last spring but said the mayor reduced that request by roughly $2.7 million when sending a budget to the city. Jasnani cited Bridge Street Elementary as a site of disproportionate need, reading figures he said were drawn from committee slides — including that the school was roughly 15% English-language learners, 49% students of color, 50% low-income and 60% “high needs” as of last year — and argued the district could afford additional interventionists and supports if the appropriation were secured.

Separately, Lisa Martinez Florence told the committee that the mayor’s husband 'accosted' a school committee member at a Stop & Shop the night before, and described bystanders stepping in; she told the committee, "Don't buy the collaborative or civility decor narrative from the mayor." The allegation was offered during public comment; no city or mayoral response was recorded in the meeting transcript.

Bill Sherr, a Ward 4 public-school parent, opened public comment with a direct apology to Member Mike Stein for an in-person interaction the previous day: "I lost my temper, and I raised my voice," he said, adding that he had apologized in person and on social media and pledging not to repeat the behavior.

Speakers also repeated concerns about recurring bathroom closures and vandalism at Northampton High School, called for the committee to consider a midyear appropriation (and to present the committee’s budget position to City Council), and urged the committee to protect vulnerable students and insist on equitable distribution of staff and services.

The committee’s procedural rule during public comment is not to respond to speakers, and no formal committee action addressing the allegations or funding demands was recorded at the meeting; members later continued organizational business and scheduled subsequent agenda items and a retreat where substantive policy issues can be addressed.

Next steps noted in the meeting: community members urged the committee to carry the funding discussion to the City Council and to pursue formal apology or further inquiry about the alleged supermarket incident; the committee has not scheduled a formal response while the public-comment rule remains in effect.