In Gazette reporter Alexander MacDougall’s story on the City Council’s recent discussion regarding the Pioneer Valley Chinese Immersion Charter School’s request to expand [“Resolution: No to charter school plans to expand,” Nov. 9], he does not mention the previous resolution passed by the City Council on Oct. 1. This is unfortunate because that resolution actually addressed the root of the problem — the state’s formulas for financing charter schools.

The resolution discussed at the council’s Nov. 7 meeting opposes PVCICS’s renewed expansion request to the state Department of Elementary and Secondary Education. The council has previously opposed such requests by PVCICS because the charter school continues to draw funds away from Northampton and its public schools, and any expansion would threaten additional losses. Here is the resolution at its first reading on Nov. 7: tinyurl.com/ytnhh2jk/.

On Oct. 1, the City Council unanimously approved “A Resolution in Support of Mass Promise to Invest: Equitable Public School Funding for Every Child.” It was sponsored by Councilors Marianne LaBarge, Jeremy Macomber-Dubs and Quaverly Rothenburg. It calls for the state “to take long overdue financial responsibility for Charter School ... assessments for low- and moderate-income school districts.” It asks the state to increase state aid to the Northampton Public Schools by the $3 million lost every year to charter school assessments; and it also asks our state representatives to support this proposed change in education funding. Here is the Oct. 1 resolution: tinyurl.com/m9j93k9c/.

The significance of this earlier City Council resolution is that it makes a specific request for increased state funding for the city’s public schools. Inadequate state funding is one of the sources of the continued difficulties of financing public education in Massachusetts (along with, of course, Proposition 2½).

It’s time to change that. Thanks to the City Council and the School Committee for endorsing the Mass Promise to Invest resolution.

Tom Riddell

Northampton