Apponequet students walk out, 'our community has failed us'

LAKEVILLE -- Hundreds of students walked out of the Apponequet Regional High School building at 11:30 a.m. on Wednesday, May 20 in protest of Lakeville's failed override vote earlier this week that may bring teacher, staff and program cuts to the school.

“It’s disappointing seeing that our community failed us,” Apponequet freshman Nora Smith said. 

Students led a walk around the building and held signs to express their disapproval of Lakeville’s rejection of a Proposition 2½ override, which would have allowed the town to spend more than its state-mandated limit. Without an override, the Freetown-Lakeville school district’s budget is expected to shrink by nearly $2 million. 

Had Tuesday’s override passed, residents would incur costs. Lakeville residents could have expected to see an average increase of $1,000 on their tax bills over the next three years.

Ryan O’Connor and Reaghan Jensen, two of the students who led the walkout, said they organized the walkout after being disappointed with Lakeville’s decision last night. An Instagram page featured plans for a walkout at Apponequet around 9 p.m. last night. Students led the demonstration, with administrators standing aside to watch.

When asked for comment, Apponequet Principal Kahlan Dessert directed Nemasket Week to Apponequet student demonstrators. 

Many students think the school is worth the investment that the override would have made. 

High school freshman Zoe Anderson said that their entire family went to Apponequet.  

“This town has always prided itself in Apponequet, it’s always prided itself in our scores and stuff,” Anderson said. “But it feels like as the years go on our school is just breaking down even more.”

The override was expected to increase taxes to cover staffing costs, health insurance costs, computer and fire suppression upgrades that state aid and leftover funds couldn’t keep up with this year. 

While residents won’t see the tax increase because of the override failure, the Freetown-Lakeville school district could now lose up to 50 staff positions and various school programs. Students expressed concerns about losing their teachers. 

“They’re cutting foundational staff members,” said Atley Alves, a junior at Apponequet. “Our school is going to literally crumble into pieces without these people.”

Students named multiple teachers they would be disappointed to see lose Apponequet positions as a result of the override failure, including Benjamin Levesque, a math teacher who leads the school’s theater department and Jennifer Cronin, a school counselor who co-advises Apponequet’s popular Distributive Education Clubs of America club chapter.  

“They’re not just teachers to us,” Apponequet senior Gary Carrier said. “They’re role models.”

O’Connor described how the school’s vibe shifted the day after the override failed. 

“Just being in school today, it’s a solemn feeling,” O’Connor said. “The teachers definitely are very down, it’s kind of, it’s not that great.”

O’Connor said that students know the vote can’t change, but that he wants the community to come together and figure something out for the school. 

“I think by doing this it shows that we really are a community and that we’re going to be able to stay together and be resilient and find creative ways to combat the negative impacts of the override,” said Reaghan Jensen, a junior at Apponequet Regional High School. 

Jensen said that she hopes Apponequet can serve as a model for other towns considering overrides.

Including Lakeville, about 30 towns have taken override votes for fiscal year 2027. 

“I think this sets an example for those who haven’t voted yet so other communities can see it and see the impact that it really has on the schools,” Jensen said.

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