At Tuesday’s Regular Meeting of the Northampton Board of Supervisors, School Superintendent Eddie Lawrence noted that the School Board has asked for an additional $159,000 in funding for the next fiscal year.
The entire proposed spending plan totals $24.7 million. In it, the school board hopes to provide a 5 percent raise for staffers. An extra $40 per month contribution will be added to health insurance coverage.
The state has increased its contribution to the county schools, a one-time increase of $362,000. The increase is designed to allow the county to increase salaries for teachers, hoping this will make the school system more competitive and able to attract and retain teachers.
The request comes as Northampton’s school enrollment is going down. They are projecting 1,350 students for the next school year, which is down more than 600 students from 2005. Enrollment 50 years ago was nearly twice this number.
The the increase in monies will increase the county’s contribution to schools is just over $9 million.
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And yet our kids get DUMBER.
That is by intent.
Less kids, More money?