AMHERST — Eliminating the reading intervention program, cutting five special education instructors and three paraprofessionals, and reducing hours for specialist instructors and band teachers, are among changes that could be implemented at Amherst’s three elementary schools beginning in the fall.

But dozens of parents and teachers, speaking for more than two hours to the Amherst School Committee Thursday evening, advocated against making $1.56 million in proposed cuts that would eliminate 18.3 positions. School leaders say the cuts are needed to meet the Town Council’s guidelines for a $27.91 million fiscal year 2026 budget, representing a 3.5%, or $943,965, increase, over this year $26.97 million budget. The spending, though, falls well short of the $29.48 million needed to provide level services.

The School Committee is expected to vote on the budget in late March.

Losing the reading program known as Intensive Decoding and Fluency Intervention would be devastating, said parent Carol Knerr, who said her daughter has succeeded because of it.

“The difference it has made in her academic confidence and ability is profound,” Knerr said. “To remove this support would be incredibly concerning and would disproportionately affect our most vulnerable students.”

Betsy Dinger, who leads the intervention program, said it responds to the most challenged readers and those who need the most intensive help. Dinger said the targeted, intensive support provides significant reading gains through early intervention and is critical in closing the reading gap for those with dyslexia and other challenges

“All I’m asking is please, can we find a way in this community, by not balancing the books by sacrificing the education of our most vulnerable students,” Dinger said. “The program works.”

Principals at the three elementary schools outlined many of the changes, including eliminating a kindergarten teacher at Crocker Farm, and the reduced hours for four of the five specialists, which will mean 12 of the 15 specialists will not be working full-time schedules. The principals also cautioned that projected enrollment numbers necessitate fewer classroom teachers, but could also prompt the need for a transfer bus between schools if a class size gets above 24 students.

“But we think we can make this work,” said Crocker Farm Principal Derek Shea.

Superintendent E. Xiomara Herman said she has been working on the budget plan for several months, calling it a rough process and difficult conversation. “But we’ve done the best we can within the means we have,” Herman said.

Julie Haddad, a special ed teacher Crocker Farm, read a letter from colleagues in support of the Intensive Decoding and Fluency Intervention Program. Haddad said if the program is taken away the reading instruction will fall back on regular educators, and students will not have access to intensive therapy to become capable readers during their crucial elementary years.

Vanessa Gordon, a parent, also spoke about the importance of special education and early intervention for her children, and that those who already are most disadvantaged will be impacted. “Special education can be, and is, life changing, and even life saving,” Gordon said.

“The targeting of special education, every time cuts come up, is sending a message that we don’t care about inclusion and equality in our schools,” Gordon said.

“Hearing about the intensive reading positions being cut is pretty upsetting,” said parent Ellen Jedrey-Guidera.

Becca Watkins, who has two children at Fort River, came to Amherst three years ago, attracted by the support for public education, but has been sorely disappointed. “The message the town is sending us is that our public education is not a priority,” Watkins said.

Meg Graham-MacLean, a parent of two Fort River students, spoke against the cuts, as did her two children. “These cuts are devastating to our teachers, our schools and our students, and I hope together we can hopefully push back on the Town Council,” Graham-MacLean said.

Reducing the hours for the school librarians, as well as scaling back the hours for the art, technology, gym and music teachers, will have a major impact, said Daniel Epsinoza, the art teacher at Fort River. Espinoza currently works with the school’s 385 students and 23 different classes each week.

“While these proposed reductions to our positions would create impossible losses for our students at our school, we are aware that similar cuts to art, music, tech, library, PE and special education positions at Crocker Farm and Wildwood would have profoundly detrimental effects on all students attending those schools, as well,” Espinoza said.

Laura Evonne Steinman, the art teacher and co-facilitator of the LGBTQIA Art Club at Wildwood School, quoted poet and civil rights activist Audre Lorde that “art is necessity, not a luxury.”

“Art is playing together and learning to repair when harm is made, and that takes a lot of practice and time,” Steinman said. “Art is being a team player. Art is exploring. Art is feeling safe.”

Instrumental music teachers are again facing cuts, with reduced from full-time to .9 FTE, a concern for Ariel Templeton, the band teacher at the elementary schools. Templeton explained that this will mean losing 12 hours of instruction per week and likely having to scale back the 375-student enrollment in instrumental music, affecting those children who can’t afford private lessons.

“This creates a significant equity issue,” Templeton said.

“The ARPS music program is a hallmark of our district and a key factor in attracting and retaining families,” Templeton said. “At a time when we are losing so many children to school choice, reducing programs like ours would be a significant setback.”

Scott Merzbach can be reached at smerzbach@gazettenet.com.