Guest columnist Karen Kauschen: The true cost of underfunding our schools

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Published: 01-14-2025 4:33 PM |
Funding our schools isn’t just about supporting our children today — it’s about lowering Northampton’s long-term costs associated with crime, social services, and lost tax revenue. The narrative that restoring $2 million to the school budget will take $10 million away from future capital improvements over five years overlooks a crucial truth: every dollar invested in education generates significant returns.
Low adult literacy costs the U.S. $2.2 trillion annually, according to one recent study. Locally, the impact is no less significant. Consider these figures on annual income based on reading proficiency:
• Adults with a sixth-grade reading level earn $63,000/year.• Adults with a third- to fifth-grade reading level earn $48,000/year.
• Adults with the lowest reading levels earn just $34,000/year.
If individuals work for 50 years at these rates, the income gap widens:
• Adults earning $48,000/year will lose $750,000 in lifetime income compared to those at the $63,000 level.
• Adults earning $34,000/year will lose $1.7 million in lifetime income.
With $2 million cut from the NPS budget, how many millions in future earning potential have been taken from our students? For every student who does not achieve reading proficiency, our community loses taxable income and spending power.
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Chronic underfunding has ripple effects:
• Adults who are functionally illiterate over a 50-year working life may lose up to $3.15 million in income.
• These adults are disproportionately represented in the incarcerated population.
Reduced funding for adjustment counselors, teachers, and support staff not only hurts academics but also increases mental health and behavioral issues. This, in turn, increases the calls for police intervention:
• Students arrested at school are three times more likely to drop out than their peers.
• Students who drop out of high school are eight times more likely to enter the criminal justice system.
• Students of color, students with disabilities and students impacted by trauma are disproportionately impacted.
Underfunding Northampton’s schools:
1. Reduces the earning potential of each graduating class by millions of dollars, shrinking the local economy.
2. Increases costs for police responses and social services, straining the city’s budget.
3. Limits opportunities for students to thrive, perpetuating cycles of poverty and inequity.
Karen Kauschen
Florence