SOUTH HADLEY — Some 12 hours after the $9 million and $11 million override votes failed at the ballot box on Tuesday, 95% of the South Hadley High School student body walked out of the building and marched to Town Hall on Wednesday to send a message to voters: You failed us.
“I feel like we lost our values as a community,” senior Mallory Levreault said. “We don’t support each other the same way. We don’t value education, community and empathy.”
South Hadley faces a $3 million budget deficit next fiscal year, set to grow by $2 million to $3 million each subsequent year. Either the $9 million or $11 million Proposition 2½ overrides would have level-funded town and school budgets for the next four to five years, but voters rejected both proposals by nearly 2-1, citing the cost to taxpayers.
Every town department will see major staffing and service cuts within the deficit budget, but the schools face the most drastic eliminations. Next year’s budget will not include funding for sports, extracurriculars and advanced placement classes. Additionally, five administrative positions, including the athletics director, would be eliminated along with at least 15 student-facing positions.
With the path forward uncertain, the Select Board, School Committee, Appropriations Committee and Capital Planning Committee will discuss next steps at a meeting Tuesday at 5:30 p.m., at the South Hadley Senior Center, 42 Dayton St. Former nine-year Select Board member Andrea Miles and former School Committee member Charles Miles, both of whom ended their terms Tuesday, said the future is unclear until the new boards deliberate.
South Hadley High students had plenty to say about the vote on Wednesday as they walked a 3-mile loop from the high school to the Henry J. Skala School and then to Town Hall.
Levreault and fellow senior Isabella Sotiropoulos said they felt a sense of hope after leaving the polls. It was their first time voting, and they had cast their vote in support of both the $9 million and $11 million override after weeks of canvassing and volunteering to educate residents about the stakes. But they were heartbroken when they saw the results.
“This doesn’t just affect a small part of the town. This affects all of us,” Sotiropoulos said. “It’s just so sad to see. All this time that we invested into it (campaigning) and it didn’t get the word out. People didn’t listen to us.”
Many of the younger students, particularly freshmen, said they were in tears over the results. The devastation was palpable as students discussed the loss of opportunity and community in their school district.
“We are the future generation to take care of not just the town, but like [to fill] other jobs like nurses, doctors and firefighters,” ninth grader Kaylyn Colon said. “If we can’t have that education to get us into colleges and get our degrees to do these jobs, then everything crumbles.”
Late Tuesday night, Senior Class President Colin Zraunig decided to turn his frustration into action. He texted several other class leaders to put out Instagram posts about the walkout and sent messages to 150 of his peers. Students made 50 last-minute signs for the march.
“Over the last couple months, students recognized how the schools will look over the last month if the override didn’t pass,” Zraunig said. “We face cuts to AP and honors classes, sports, our favorite teachers. That’s what brings us together as a community.”
Students wanted to make their voices heard not only locally but statewide. Zraunig said that Chapter 70 money has not been sufficient to support students in minimum aid districts, and school budget shortfalls plague municipalities across the commonwealth.
“We’re here to advocate for better funding for public schools,” Zraunig said in a video posted on social media. “Mostly [in] South Hadley, but in general all public schools need better funding from these state and local levels.”
Superintendent Jen Voyik said administrators cannot condone a non-school organized event.
“Over the past six to eight months, I have spoken publicly about the potential impacts of a deficit budget,” she said. “At this time, I am still processing the results and working through possible next steps and solutions.”
The failed vote means something different to every student.
For senior Lily Orsman, her eighth grade sister will not receive the same opportunities she had in high school. Ella Goodhind, a freshman, will not graduate with her friends Nora and Grace Proulx as they look to choice out of South Hadley Public Schools. Kate Phillips, a junior and captain of the South Hadley varsity girls basketball team, might not get to defend her state championship title.
“The problem is that most schools in the area don’t take seniors because you’re supposed to get in before your senior year starts,” Phillips said. “We just found out that this is what’s happening. They’re not accepting applications anymore, so we are stuck.”
