NORTHAMPTON — In the face of statewide education funding challenges, Northampton Public Schools Superintendent Portia Bonner is once again presenting three potential budgets for the upcoming 2026-2027 school year.
Similar to last budget season, Bonner earlier this month unveiled a “strong budget” of nearly $50.8 million, which seeks to restore and expand services to students across the district; a $47 million “level-services” budget that would maintain the school’s current staff and programs and only add expenses for special education compliance; and a “city-targeted” budget of roughly $46.4 million that would eliminate all new position and expense requests, as well as keep limited programs for students.
The superintendent explained each budget to the School Committee during its meeting on March 12 in advance of the committee’s public hearing on the budget scheduled for Monday night, March 23, at 5:30.
“I urge you and stakeholders to engage with the state delegation that the current funding formulas do not reflect the reality of municipal constraints,” Bonner said. “Without a shift in how Chapter 70 and circuit breaker funds are calculated and distributed, districts like Northampton will continue to face impossible choices between staffing and service levels.”
Ward 4 committee member Michael Stein expressed frustration at the March 12 meeting with the limited amount of time the committee has to study the document.
“I have to admit I’m pretty frustrated that Budget and Property [Subcommittee] didn’t see any of this before it was presented here,” he said. “There’s not a lot of other conversations. We’re going to be asked to come and vote for this in a month.”
The strong budget calls for 14.9% increase over the city’s approximately $44.1 million contribution in fiscal year 2026. The additional $6.6 million would establish or restore 56 positions and bring three positions from part time to full time. Other positions include 12 paraeducators to assist with Individualized Education Plans, four elementary math and reading interventionists, six full-time clerical positions and six core curriculum teachers.
Bonner explains she made these budget requests directly from the presentations of each building’s principals and directors.
Five positions would contribute to bringing special education services in-district, which combats rising costs of contractual services. With the addition of a part-time health teacher in each elementary school, Bonner said the schools would better hit the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education standards for health while also freeing up time for teachers.
“When we create a new special, it frees up time for teachers for collaboration time and time where we have actually had to pay subs for them to have time to work together,” Bonner said. “It provides an opportunity for our students to have wellness, health, nutrition and all of those components at that age.”
The level-services budget, meanwhile, calls for the city to increase its contribution by 6.4% from the current year. This would maintain all staffing, including positions added during the current fiscal year, aside from positions added under a midyear appropriation. This plan would also maintain a reading interventionist at each of the four elementary schools and the middle school, as well as one math interventionist for three elementary schools and the middle school; continue addressing students with severe disabilities in special programming at all three levels; and maintain manageable class sizes at the elementary level.
The city-targeted budget calls for a 5.5% increase over the current year’s contribution, or roughly $563,000 under the level-service budget. This plan would eliminate all requested new positions, reduce non-personnel expenses excluding utilities and transportation; and result in savings from staff retirements. Bonner’s report says the plan may impact class sizes at all levels, and course offerings at the high school may be limited with students continuing to not be able to take their desired courses.
Ward 3 school committee representative Renika Montgomery-Tamakloe questioned whether the district could meet its goal of building capacity with staff when staff are already stretched thin and an absence equates to a lapse in service.
“We just got a report that said we don’t have enough services because if staff is out, there is not enough services rendered,” Montgomery-Tamakloe said. “The only budget that addresses that is the strong budget.”
Bonner noted that the current staff have been building capacity for the past three years by realigning staff responsibilities to best meet the needs of students.
“We work with what we have and we strengthen what we have,” Bonner said. “That’s how you build capacity of what you current have your district.”
Monday’s hybrid meeting will take place online and in person at the JFK Middle School Community Room, 100 Bridge Road.