Smith gave a generous 1-time gift to close last years school budget gap, but as an economically viable institution, could they do more to support Northamptons schools on a more regular basis?
Smith College makes many direct and indirect donations to the city and the Northampton public schools. In addition to being the largest property tax payer, the College is a location to many field trips each year; student teachers serve in our schools and their host teachers are allowed to take a Smith College course free of charge. There is tuition reduction for young women from Northampton attending Smith College. They offer classes to High School students, host city events in their buildings, and co-sponsor the Smith-Northampton Summer School. A full list of the college’s in-kind and cash contributions may be found here: http://www.smith.edu/fornorthampton.php. It is also worth noting that recent news articles indicate that the college has felt the hit of the worsening economy. The College is reportedly looking at cutting $30 million from its own budget next year (Boston Globe 1/8/09).
