Video Link – Northampton Open Media: 2-20-25 City Council The following discussions and statements are transcribed from the 2-20-25 City Council meeting. At this meeting, 5 Councilors voted against a $600,000 allocation to the Northampton Public Schools and 3 Councilors voted to approve the funds. The motion failed 5-3. Mayor Sciarra speaks about financial order…

Video Recording: Northampton Open Media 2-13-25 School Committee Click here to read more public commentary given throughout the last year. 29:49 – I’ve been a Spanish teacher with Northampton public schools for 24 years at both NHS and JFK. I’m currently at JFK. I want to talk about what this year has been like. This…

“A lot of times in this city we’re told that there’s not enough money or the money is not the right kind of money for us to use for schools or for our children and so that’s why I’m here right now. And I really find that hard to believe, especially when the city produces…

Mayor’s FY26 Budget Forecast Continues Service Cuts for Northampton Schools  Sciarra provides no plan to address the underfunding impact on city’s public school children.   February 3, 2025 — Northampton’s mayor, Gina-Louise Sciarra, delivered her annual financial presentation on Thursday, January 30, at a joint meeting of the Northampton City Council, Northampton School Committee, trustees of the…

Underfunding Northampton’s schools: 1. Reduces the earning potential of each graduating class by millions of dollars, shrinking the local economy. 2. Increases costs for police responses and social services, straining the city’s budget. 3. Limits opportunities for students to thrive, perpetuating cycles of poverty and inequity. Read Karen Kauschen’s Guest Column here: https://gazettenet.com./Letter-to-the-editor-58886453 January 14,…

Support our Schools (SOS) responds to the recent op-ed from Mayor Sciarra, “Northampton’s capital spending makes fiscal sense” in the Daily Hampshire Gazette on 1/14/25. Mayor Sciarra’s recent op-ed is missing crucial context and information. In the following analysis, SOS responds. Mayor Sciarra writes: “On Jan. 2, I presented to the Northampton City Council the…

Student Services Spotlight Video Recording: Northampton Open Media – 10/10/24 School Committee Video Time Stamp: 48:37 Matt Holloway: I’m the director of student services, and I’m going to provide a brief Spotlight update on the state of student services so far, as of October 10th.  So, we’re going to start with the student numbers. I’m…

You can use the text below as a start point for emailing Mayor Sciarra, City Councilors, and School Committee Members. Email to: [email protected], [email protected], [email protected] Dear Mayor Sciarra, City Councilors, and School Committee Members, I am writing to urge you to use some of our city’s $11 million in excess revenue to fund Northampton Public…

October 2024 The City of Northampton will soon certify $6-8 million in excess revenue. During the certification process, the state counts and verifies a city’s leftover tax dollars unspent or underestimated the previous year. Those excess funds will become part of the city’s spendable cash, also called “Free Cash.” Northampton has generous savings accounts within…

by Johanna Radding  Northampton Resident In a recent Gazette article about Northampton’s “unexpected jolt of money” from underestimated revenue and interest, the reporter quoted Mayor Sciarra saying that she was “quite surprised.” Many people from the community have been pointing this out in public comments, articles, and presentations for months. Claiming to be surprised by…