WESTHAMPTON —Hundreds of students poured out of Hampshire Regional High School in the rain Monday ahead of the district’s final budget meeting later that evening, warning that proposed cuts eliminating five full-time positions would harm students.
A bustling noise grew as students huddled underneath the awning at the entrance of the regional school while others walked out of the building.
The walkout was organized by several high school students distraught after seeing the preliminary budget for the upcoming school year, which is $400,000 short of level services.
“So many of us are here today because it’s no secret that Hampshire Regional has an incredibly brilliant student body,” said senior Lucy McVey through a bullhorn to the crowd of students. “This community that we have built is made possible by our educational opportunities that we have here at Hampshire and we don’t want them to be stripped away.”
The Hampshire Regional School Committee approved a preliminary budget of $19.7 million in early February, but a level-services budget is projected to be $20.1 million — a roughly $2 million increase from last year.
The preliminary budget would eliminate at least five full-time employees and possibly other services such as junior varsity sports, summer credit courses and after-school buses.
The walkout took place on the morning of the Hampshire Regional School Committee’s meeting to approve the final budget for fiscal 2027, which was planned for later that night. Students organized the walkout to coincide with the meeting day, hoping to make their voices heard by the school committee members. Many of the organizers planned to also attend the meeting.
“I urge all of you to continue to fight and join us at the HR School Committee meeting tonight, where we will hold the final budget vote,” McVey said to students. “I encourage you all to show up and show out.”
Walkout organizers also asked fellow students to make their voices heard at Select Board meetings in their respective towns.
Senior Augustus Niswonger encouraged students to ask Select Board members to consider tax-cap overrides to help soften the blow to the school’s budget. They also urged students to advocate at the state level to help rural school funding overall.
“Hampshire’s problems are not unique, this is a statewide issue … ” Niswonger said at the walkout. “Student voices are the most important voices on this issue.”
Niswonger referred to the state’s Rural School Aid funding which decreased by $4 million between fiscal years 2025 and 2026. “This is the opposite of what all of our schools want or should have.”
To approve the high school’s final budget, representatives from only four of the five towns in the district need to vote in favor.
In an interview with the Gazette, HRHS Principal Lauren Hotz said she was impressed by the students’ engagement in the school funding issue and the mature way they approached a difficult and emotional topic.
“The most powerful thing that we have here is our kids,” she told the Gazette. “That’s why schools exist and to see them [students] advocating for what our school needs is really powerful.”