The Northumberland School Board last week held its first public hearing on the fiscal year 2024-25 budget.
In addition to the public comments heard at the meeting, a number of teachers, students, parents and community members responded to a survey regarding budget requests. According to the survey, many teachers identified raising pay with the cost of living, truancy officers, classroom furniture, increased safety and security measures, as well as stipends for additional roles among priorities for budget consideration. Students who filled out the survey largely focused on better quality food options and larger portions as their priorities. Community members made several comments regarding wanting more fiscal transparency, budgets based on performance, and overall academic improvement programs as their top priorities.