The City of Nashua is designated a “Welcoming City,” and Nashua taxpayers are funding a $191 million school budget, yet there has been very little public discussion about how staffing levels connect to that cost.
According to district information, 49 languages are spoken among Nashua students of 9,701, reflecting policies that encourage immigrant and refugee resettlement. The district reports 925 teachers in 2024, a number that may appear high until key factors are considered:
- Not all teachers are traditional classroom teachers; many serve as specialists (special education, English language learning, reading intervention, art, music, physical education, and more).
- Smaller class sizes are often legally required for special education and English language learners, increasing staffing needs.
- Federal and state laws mandate services for students with disabilities and students learning English, driving staffing beyond a simple “20 students per class” calculation.
However, the district also reports a total staff of 2,055 employees. After subtracting the 925 teachers, that leaves 1,130 non-teaching staff positions.
Are all of these positions necessary?
That is a reasonable question, and one the Nashua School District should clearly answer before the next budget cycle, especially given the scale of taxpayer investment.
Transparency matters when the numbers are this large.
