Despite having their contracts turned down for a second time this year, teachers, guidance counselors and coaches said it was business as usual yesterday at Hopkinton High School.

Guidance counselor Gene Fox sat among hundreds of college applications yesterday while meeting with a slew of students. Fox, a veteran teacher who has spent the past five years in Hopkinton, held a long-planned college fair yesterday. All told, it was just another day.

"Taking a day off because I'm frustrated is not something I'd want to do," he said.

Fox said the vote hasn't hit home yet. Even when it does, the facts won't change: Those college applications need to be out the door in time for early decision deadlines.

"I don't have much time to worry about other things," he said.

At a special school district meeting Wednesday night, voters approved a new one-year contract for support staff but flipped their vote when it came to members of the Hopkinton Education Association. Those union members, which also include librarians, nurses and licensed speech therapists, will be forced to work under an expired contract at least until March.

"I don't think anybody is expecting the town to give us a big leap (in pay)," Fox said. "But they do expect the community to understand we've held off for a year and now we're ready to negotiate in good faith."

Mary Harb, a French teacher, said the vote was not a statement about the town's feeling toward educators. Instead, she said voters weren't ready to accept the cost of new contracts, estimated to raise taxes by 23 cents per $1,000 of assessed value over two years.

"I have to say that I was somewhat disappointed," Harb said. "However, as a professional, I intended to give 100 percent of myself because the students shouldn't have to suffer."

Hart also advises the senior class and Interact Club.

"We do it for the love. We have to," she said.

When the last bell of the day rang, students filed out of school en masse. Teachers remained behind in their classrooms to answer questions and finish grading papers.

Principal Christopher Sousa said he went around to classrooms throughout the day to make sure staff members were keeping their chins high.

"They may be sad about the outcome," he said. "But these teachers are invested in the community, they care about their kids, so they aren't going to let this get them down."

Outside, teachers stuck around to cheer on the girls' field hockey team or coach soccer.

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