District news
Committee asks City Council for power to raise the school budget
What happened
The School Committee voted 7-1 to recommend the City Council opt in to a 1987 state law that would let the Council increase the school budget, not just cut it. Any increase would still be capped at the level the School Committee itself already recommended and would need a two-thirds Council vote.
Why it matters to families
Right now the City Council can only reduce what the Mayor proposes for schools, never add to it. This change would give the Council a new tool to fund schools above the Mayor's number if it chooses to.
The evidence
The June 3, 2026 minutes record the motion for the School Committee to recommend the City Council opt in to Chapter 329 of the Acts of 1987, passing 7 aye to 1 nay, with Member Weisenfreund's statement that the Council's added power would be capped at the committee's own recommended budget.
The source
June 3, 2026 approved minutesSee the full record for Northampton Public Schools.
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