Hadley School Committee Approves Hopkins Academy Program of Studies for Fall 2026

HADLEY -- May 18, 2026, Hadley School Committee approves updated Hopkins Academy course catalog and hears AI curriculum and HVAC funding updates. The committee voted unanimously Monday to approve the 2026-2027 Program of Studies, which adds AP Seminar for tenth graders, new Project Lead the Way engineering and sustainability courses, and a middle-school robotics class, while replacing ninth-grade physics with integrated earth and space science due to a shortage of licensed physics teachers. Principal April Camuso also presented a generative AI competency framework, developed with teachers Susan Duncan, Nick Dowd, and Dan Vreeland, that will embed AI literacy into existing required courses for grades 7 through 10 beginning this fall, with Google Gemini slated to open to students alongside the rollout. Business Manager Chris reported the district's heating system ran $89,000 over budget this year from repeated boiler and oil-line failures, and the committee received a summary from energy services company Trane outlining three HVAC replacement options, geothermal, hot water conversion, and air source heat pumps, for a full discussion and consensus vote at the June meeting before a recommendation goes to the Select Board. Superintendent Anne McKenzie urged residents to vote June 2 to confirm a Proposition 2½ override that passed at the May 7 town meeting.