Smith Vocational leaders warn enrollment mix and flat nonresident numbers could squeeze budget, prompt facility choices

Smith Vocational and Agricultural High School leaders warned trustees Tuesday that a recent rise in student numbers will not by itself resolve budget pressures because the gains are coming from Northampton residents rather than better-paying nonresident tuition slots.

At a regular Board of Trustees meeting, the principal opened the March budget preview by saying the school was "standing pat at 584 students" and that overall enrollment is up slightly year over year. He told trustees that roughly 35% of students have individualized education programs — far above the state average of about 20% — which drives higher service and staffing costs.

"When 35% of our students have an IEP, there's more services that we have to provide," the principal said, noting the district must fund additional special-education teachers, paraprofessionals and counseling services. The presentation included data comparing Smith to nearby regional vocational schools and emphasizing that Smith operates 15 vocational programs while peers often serve similar or larger student bodies with fewer programs.

Budget pressures are compounded because the school does not set the nonresident tuition rate, which comes from the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, the principal said. He said the nonresident tuition this year is "about $20,000 and some change" while Chapter 70 funding was cited around $15–16 thousand (the presenter said he would confirm exact Chapter 70 figures). Because the board had projected some new students would be nonresidents and those counts have not materialized, planned revenue growth from tuition has lagged expectations.

Officials flagged other headwinds: supplies for vocational shops are rising (projected increases in the 7–9% range), utilities and insurance costs are growing faster than typical state tuition adjustments, and salaries are rising. The principal noted the school relies in part on federal and grant funding for equipment and professional development; he named Perkins funding as an example of a federal stream that provides about $100,000 annually for vocational programs and said losing such funds would reduce opportunities for teachers and students.

Trustees were reminded that the March meeting is timed to follow release of state tuition figures so the board can present a more complete FY26 budget. The administration proposed revenue-mitigation steps including standardizing shop-rate policies for paid shop work and expanding outreach to industry partners for donated or surplus equipment.

Next steps: the administration will finalize the school-level budget proposal for review in March and return with updated Chapter 70 and nonresident tuition figures and specific proposals for shop-rate policy changes.