Northampton School Superintendent and fashion plate (C’mon! Those coordinated suits are the highlight of every school committee meeting) Isabelina Rodriguez announced an almost $3 million budget gap (sub. req’d. [enough already Gazette]) in next year’s school budget.
It all would have been fine with a level-funded budget had the Mayor not asked for a 12% reduction due to the city’s own budget shortfall of $6M. Thwarted.
So here’s who ended up on the cutting room floor:
- 23 teachers and 4 aides across all four elementary schools
- 11 teachers at JFK Middle School
- 14 teachers at Northampton High
What will also be cut way back is busing. Before, kids who paid for passes could ride the bus through twelfth grade, if I’m understanding the information correctly. Now it’s been pushed back to the state mandatory minimum only for kindergarteners through sixth graders. Superintendent Rodriguez clarified further that would mean seventh through twelfth graders would not be bused. Again, if I’m understanding it correctly, that is a rather dire set up.
What also went into a different part of the budget meaning it was moved from allocated funds to revolving funds was stipends that pay for coaches and teachers who lead extra-curriculars afterschool. This was immediately interpreted as sports and extracurriculars were being cut. Not the case, Rodridguez said, just the funding of these posts. She’s hoping that booster clubs will form to take up the costs.
I’m still a little unclear as to what this means. I know the stipends of the coaches and teachers will be put out to booster clubs but does this also mean transportation to and from practices and games, rehearsals and the like? Also how does equipment and uniforms figure in to this? Any clarification would be much appreciated.
Also, if there are no boosters or boosters but still not enough funding, does this mean the activity is…cut?
Bleak times are ahead for our schools, friends. It’s been bad before but having to cut close to 50 teachers across the school system is Brontë sisters depressing.
Having spent the last year covering school committee meetings for WHMP, I will say the committee is very responsive to parents that show up to speak during the public comment. They truly seem to take a keen interest and listen intently to the concerns of those who show up to speak their minds.
Here’s the list of upcoming meetings. They begin at 7:15pm and are in the community meeting room of JFK Middle School on Bridge Rd., the school that’s getting eleven teacher positions cut.
