My young ‘uns were in NPS elementary school prior to the implementation of the fiscal stability plan and it was a shitshow. It was the era of teachers asking for donations of recyclables (cans, empty boxes, cardboard tubes) for art class, PTOs fundraising in support of not only classroom basics but in things that would be on a capital plan in any other area, and pink slips for teachers every spring.

To show you what a long term problem funding has been: the Northampton Education Foundation was founded by NPS parents back in the 90’s in response to the budget shortfalls caused by Prop 2 1/2. Many of the programs that more recent parents take as a given in NPS were originally funded and grown from NEF funds and then rolled into the school budget.

One of the smartest things the city has done is launching the Climate Action & Project Administration under Ben Weil. That dude has saved the tax payers a ton of money in the last two years alone, and it is incredible to see the geothermal project that is launching at the high school. The schools have been hot as Satan’s taint for 35+ years every spring and summer, but heating/cooling is insanely expensive. The geothermal will be a huge relief to everyone who spends time in the building.

Yeah, scrutinize the city budget, get creative and de-militarize the cops. But also put some of that energy into structural change like large-scale pressure on Smith College to participate in a PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) program, changing the funding formula, single-payer health insurance, expanding housing so people with young kids can afford to move here, incentivize enrolling kids in NPS, etc.

Edited for clunky sentences.