I have been very disappointed in the rhetoric around the school budget. The issue began when the School Committee spent one-time COVID money on ongoing costs like teacher salaries. That was a mistake on their part that is causing the current problems.

No admission of this is in any of the materials proponents use — it is sold to us as the city hates children and wants the schools and students to fail. That is an extremely disingenuous take that puts a bizarre spin on things and does not include key information.

Many who work in city government have kids in the public schools. The idea that they are all part of some evil cabal taking money from children is just not supported by evidence or common sense. Last year the city spent $1 million to make up the gap from the funding mistake, and using our emergency money will only deplete it and kick this problem down the road a couple of years when it all runs out, leaving Northampton unable to respond to an emergency.

I hate to see progressive folks using dishonest framing. We all know that making someone “Them” lets you off the hook, lets you not have to think further about the issue at hand.It’s disappointing in general to see folks fall so easily for an “Us vs. Them” mentality. It’s possible for everyone to come together to find solutions, rather than making things so black and white and divisive.

We’re a very small city — our elected officials are our neighbors, and we, the people, voted for them. To turn them all into soulless government drones is very thought-limiting and not based in reality.

I hope folks can take a breath, get some clarity and all the facts, and dig in to do the work needed to support our kids and our whole city.

Traci Olsen

Northampton