Hadley School Committee Cuts $200,000 From FY26 Budget After Override Fails

HADLEY -- October 27, 2025, Hadley School Committee cuts $200,000 from its FY26 budget and approves Narcan training for non-medical staff. The committee voted unanimously Monday to rescind its prior fiscal year 2026 budget and adopt a revised spending plan setting the town's local contribution at $7,799,633, a $200,000 reduction reflecting a vote at the October 23 special town meeting after a tax override failed. Superintendent Annie McKenzie said the reduction will be absorbed through two unfilled staff resignations and the elimination of a special education out-of-district placement. The committee also approved, on first and final reading, a revised policy authorizing trained non-medical staff to administer naloxone; school nurse Robin Sish said annual retraining will occur each fall, noting that "it's in our community, it's kind of everywhere." School-related security capital requests, including a flashing blue light system and a security vestibule at Hopkins Academy, did not pass at the special town meeting and remain on hold. McKenzie reported the district has already secured roughly $1.2 million in FY26 grant awards, approximately $150,000 more than the total for all of FY25.