‘Knowledge. Community. Generosity. These three concepts capture Smith’s identity as an institution.” Those are the words that greet you on Smith College’s website. But does Smith College embody these values for the community of Northampton? I offer the reader a few facts:

1. Smith College has an endowment of $2.5 billion.

2. In the past 10 years, Smith’s endowment has increased by almost $1 billion, from $1.55 billion in 2014 to $2.5 billion by the end of 2023.

3. In 2015, Smith College’s tax-exempt property was valued at $420 million, a figure that must be considerably higher now due to rising property values in Northampton. At this valuation, Smith’s annual property tax bill would be over $6 million.

4. Northampton Public Schools are facing a $2.75 million budget deficit in 2025.

In 2015, in response to former Mayor David Narkewicz’s proposal of a PILOT (payment in lieu of taxes) program, then-president of Smith Kathleen McCartney wrote that she could not support the program – stating that “private colleges and universities serve a vital role in advancing society, by providing service — higher education — that the government would otherwise need to provide,” and instead generously donated $300,000 (over three years) to the city. In 2021, as communities nationwide suffered from the economic effects of the COVID pandemic — through which private colleges continued to charge full tuition for online learning — Smith College donated another $500,000 to Northampton (also spread over three years). 

Private colleges are becoming increasingly unaffordable while our public school system is left to rot; Smith’s excuse is feeble and, honestly, insulting. Smith’s continued refusal of a PILOT program has shown a complete disdain for education unless it can be sold for $60K a year: If they wish to uphold “their identity as an institution,” it is imperative that they agree to it.

Reed Mitchell

Northampton