Seeing many kids struggle in the post-pandemic moment, and with so much uncertainty with national politics, it is reasonable to turn to our closest elected officials and confirm that we’re on the right path. So, as a Northampton public school parent, I’ve paid close attention to the discussion over education funding in our city. I love our public schools, and believe they are the backbone of our city.

I read Mayor Gina-Louise Sciarra’s recent column carefully [“Northampton’s capital spending makes fiscal sense,” Jan. 15]. I was heartened to read that, for this year, total spending for the Northampton Public Schools is estimated to be “138% of the state-determined minimum for our district, which would be the second highest amount since 1993, when we spent only 92% of the minimum.”

I also looked up the same data for neighboring school districts from the state’s Department of Elementary and Secondary Education, which goes up to fiscal year 2024, when Northampton was at 133%. This year’s 138% estimate was higher than most districts, including Easthampton (111%), South Hadley (117%), Greenfield (123%), East Longmeadow (135%) and Agawam (137%). And that’s despite the fact that the aforementioned districts have far more of their budgets covered by state Chapter 70 aid than we do (about one-sixth for us, about one-third for most of them).

Amherst elementary (202%), Amherst-Pelham regional (169%), and Longmeadow (145%) were districts with higher percentages of spending relative to their state minimums, but Amherst and Longmeadow also have higher tax rates and average tax bills than Northampton. I have yet to hear any critics of Northampton’s budget call for matching their tax rates.

Like any public school parent, I want to see as much money as possible for the public schools. But if Northampton is already spending just about as much as we ever have on public schools, maybe the question to ask is not, “Why aren’t we spending more?” Maybe we need to ask, “How can we spend the money we have in the most effective way possible?”

I hope the School Committee will explore that question as it considers the budget for the next fiscal year.

Jonathan R. Wynn

Professor and department chair of sociology, UMass Amherst, Northampton