At a glance
The Board of Education got its first look at a preliminary 2024-25 budget built on the assumption that $2.8 million in state aid does not come back. To cover the loss, staff proposed taking the tax levy from 2% up to the 3.42% cap, which raises $850,000, holding the year over year expense increase to $600,000, appropriating $2.3 million of fund balance, and tapping reserves, all while keeping every full-time employee. Board members pushed back on using a $200,000 home as the sample taxpayer, asked whether curriculum work was still funded, and asked how the district will reach voters before May. Staff said that if Albany restores the aid before the April 23 adoption vote, they would put back what was cut, refill reserves, and drop the levy back to 2%. No budget was adopted; the personnel and consensus agendas were put to voice votes that the captions do not fully record.
Roll Call, Student Report, and an Early Executive Session
The meeting opened with roll call and a motion to accept the agenda, then the student representative gave her report. The board went into executive session at 6:06 p.m. to discuss proposed, pending, or current litigation.
Key points
- The student representative reported that mock trial has finished its competitions and that track held its opening meet that day after April break
- Student council is preparing for a movie night, and the Multicultural Club is still running its cake fundraiser
- She said a first-of-its-kind district event was set for the next day and had been positively received by students; the captions garble its name
- The board president thanked the student representative, who is named in the transcript only as Victoria
- A motion to enter executive session for proposed, pending, or current litigation was made at 6:06 p.m. and put to a voice vote
The roll call captures only the word 'here' several times and one partial name, so the transcript does not show who was present. The recording then runs blank from about 01:28 to 21:20, roughly 20 minutes, while the board was in executive session. Nothing from that stretch is in the record.
A Budget Built Without $2.8 Million in State Aid
Back in open session, the superintendent and the district's business official opened the third budget presentation with a preliminary 2024-25 budget that assumes the state does not restore $2.8 million in aid.
Key points
- The superintendent said the preliminary budget is based on the district not receiving $2.8 million from the state, and that staff worked to preserve programs anyway
- She framed the budget around the district vision and mission and the six keys to school improvement she has presented before, including strengthening instructional leadership and the instructional core and improving data-driven practices
- The business official said state aid is a large share of the district's revenue and that the goal is to keep student programs, staffing levels, and supports intact
- Because of the $2.8 million, the proposal moves the tax levy from the 2% staff had originally hoped for to the district's cap of 3.42%
- A 3.42% levy raises $850,000 for the district
These are YouTube auto-captions with no speaker labels. The business official's surname is garbled every time it is spoken, so she is described here by role. The superintendent is called 'Dr. Pennyman' in the captions.
Expenses Up $600,000, Leaving About a $3 Million Gap
The business official walked through historical expenses back to 2021 and explained how staff shrank the year over year increase. She also defined the budget vocabulary the board would see in the line by line review.
Key points
- Earlier presentations showed a 2.2% increase in expenses; after reviewing every budget line, payroll code, and BOCES service, staff brought the increase down
- The revised presentation raises expenses by $600,000
- Combined with the $2.8 million aid loss, that leaves about $3 million to make up
- Budget account codes follow a structure required by New York State law, covering the function, the location, and who does the job
- Some lines rise automatically because of contract language, which staff labels contractual requirements
- Large swings of 100% or 50% in individual codes are a restructuring, moving staff into the codes that match what they actually do, not real spending changes
Line by Line: General Support and Instruction
The business official went code by code through general support and instructional categories, flagging which increases are contractual, which are reallocations, and where she found savings.
Key points
- The Board of Education code covers meetings, papers, association dues, and conferences, not pay for board members, and is flat year over year
- The district clerk line carries that position's stipend plus support for the board; board meeting costs, including the budget vote and advertising, are also flat
- The chief school administrator line covers the superintendent and the superintendent's secretary, and rises only by contractually required salary amounts
- The business administrator line, which covers the business office staff other than the treasurer, decreases because the district will drop two BOCES financial planning and forecasting services for a year to help cover the gap
- Auditing services, covering the internal risk assessment and the external auditor, are projected to rise 3%; public information and communications rise 2.6%; the BOCES administrative charge rises 3% and cannot be changed by the district
- Occupational education, covering CTE and New Visions programs, is projected to rise 3%; the line for educating incarcerated students decreases because of Raise the Age
- Unallocated insurance, covering liability and cybersecurity coverage, is projected flat
Transportation, Benefits, and Debt Service
The presentation moved to transportation, employee benefits, debt service, and transfers, where the biggest single number is the cost of moving students.
Key points
- Transportation is hard to predict because of special education placements outside the district; the budgeted amount this year is less than $4 million while the actual cost is $4 million
- Staff expect transportation to rise about 2.8%, driven by CPI, which the district does not control
- Recreation covers pool expenses, including maintenance
- Employee benefits is one of the largest lines; payroll and benefits are the most expensive part of the district
- Debt service interest decreased by $4,000
- Transfers to other funds drop by $100,000 because a planned $100,000 project for next year was removed, which staff called an easy place to cut without touching programs or staffing
- A $75,000 transfer has to stay: the state reimburses only 80% of extended school year summer programming, so the district covers the other 20%
What the 3.42% Levy Means for a Homeowner
The business official turned to revenue and showed the tax impact of going to the cap instead of the 2% presented earlier.
Key points
- The proposal raises the levy to the full 3.42%, the most the district is allowed to collect under the formula
- The sample chart uses a home assessed at $200,000, with the figure varying by town depending on mill rates and equalization rates
- At 3.42%, the presentation showed about $10 more a month for that sample homeowner
- The business official framed the increase as money to support students and programs and maintain the education the district provides now
The captions render the monthly impact as 'about a $10 increase so over 12 months you'll pay $10 more a month,' which is muddled. Later in the meeting the same speaker refers to the levy as 3.47% while every other mention is 3.42%. Check the district's posted slides for the exact numbers.
Filling the Gap With Fund Balance and Reserves
The business official explained how the district would close the rest of the gap without touching jobs: a larger appropriation of excess fund balance plus several reserves.
Key points
- This year's budget appropriated $1.1 million of fund balance; the proposal for 2024-25 is $2.3 million
- Audited statements showed a 7% fund balance at the end of the 2023 year, which is $2 million more than allowed, since the state allows 4%
- The plan takes $1 million of that excess from the 2023 year and $1 million staff project will be left this year from slowed spending
- Doing so keeps the district below the 4% limit and, staff said, avoids changing anyone's employment situation
- Reserves would cover retirement incentive payments for four retirees at about $20,000 each, workers compensation costs, and the employee retirement payment due in December
- Two positions were identified that can be paid from a grant instead of the general budget
- Altogether the plan produces an overall revenue increase of $665,000 without extra state aid
If Albany Restores the Aid, and If Voters Say No
Staff laid out both the upside case, a restoration of foundation aid before the April 23 adoption vote, and the downside case, a defeated budget and a contingency budget.
Key points
- The governor's January proposal showed a 2.9% change in foundation aid; a full restoration to hold harmless would give the district an increase of $15,000
- The state budget was due April 1, was extended to the 8th, and is now extended to the 15th
- If solid numbers arrive before the April 23 board meeting, staff would put back what they removed, replenish reserves rather than using the money as next year's fund balance, drop the levy back to 2%, and reconsider the $100,000 project
- State law requires the board to adopt a 2024-25 budget by April 23, so if nothing changes this is the budget staff will propose for adoption
- If voters defeat the budget, the district could go out for a second vote or move to a contingency budget
- A contingency budget cannot raise the levy above last year's amount and would cut athletics, equipment, and other extras; staff called it a skeleton budget and said it is not favorable in any scenario
- The business official urged residents to vote and support the district
Board Questions: Curriculum, Home Values, and Getting the Slides Out
Board members questioned staff about curriculum funding, the sample home value, contingency budget effects, public access to the presentation, and the odds the state comes through.
Key points
- Asked whether the curriculum work presented earlier by the elementary school is still funded, staff said yes, and that the district is leaning on grant money, professional development funds, school improvement grant money, and district improvement plan money instead of the general budget
- Staff said they do plan to look at the junior high literacy curriculum
- A board member said a $200,000 home is dated for this area and that the median value is not under $300,000, asking for a number voters would recognize; the business official agreed and offered to post charts at $150,000, $200,000, and $300,000
- Asked to confirm what a contingency budget means, staff said no sports, no after school activities, and no clubs
- Asked whether the public can see the presentation, staff said it goes on the district website the next day, along with every budget presentation given so far
- Asked whether selling a district property would help close the gap, staff said not necessarily, because of the timing of a closing and limits on how that revenue could be used
- On timing, staff said they have been told by the 15th, and that a colleague who spoke with two senators expects word midweek next week; the foundation aid formula dates to 2002 and superintendents and legislators are pushing for a new one
The property a board member asked about selling is rendered only as 'jna' in the transcript, so the building is not identifiable from the record.
No Layoffs in the Plan, and a Push to Reach Voters
Staff confirmed the plan keeps all full-time employees, and board members asked how the district will reach people who do not read the website.
Key points
- Asked directly, staff said the plan maintains all full-time teachers and employees, and that they worked to keep every position
- The four retiring teachers would be replaced, with the projected replacement at a lower salary, which staff called breakage
- The superintendent said human capital is the largest share of any budget, and that saving jobs and protecting instruction came first
- A board member said many parents and voters do not visit the website and asked about printed material or a slogan, noting the issue is not just inflation but the possible loss of aid
- Staff said they will present next week at the fire station, that a schedule of presentations around the district is being put together, and that flyers and marketing material are planned
- The superintendent asked high school seniors who are 18 to exercise their voting rights, without telling them how to vote, and mentioned a voter registration event at the high school
- Staff said turnout matters regardless of which budget is adopted
Personnel, Consensus Agenda, and the Superintendent's Update
The board moved through its routine business and heard the superintendent's update on spring activities and a change to junior high recess.
Key points
- A motion to accept the personnel agenda, items A through J, was made and put to a voice vote
- No one signed up for public participation
- The superintendent said staff have been hard at work on the budget over spring break, and that she attended student plays at the high school
- She said the district's MBK fellows are drawing attention across the state
- Junior high students no longer have recess in the front parking lot and have moved to the field and turf; the superintendent said students raised it with her by email and through her superintendent advisory team, and she acted on it
- She told students that student voice matters to her and that she understands who she serves
- A motion to accept the consensus agenda was made and put to a voice vote; the captions render the item range as '8 through H'
For the agenda, the executive session, the personnel agenda, the consensus agenda, and adjournment, the captions record a motion, a second, and the words 'all in favor,' but not the members' responses. The record shows each motion being put to a voice vote; it does not show the outcome.
Important Dates and Adjournment
The board president read the schedule of upcoming meetings and deadlines, and the meeting adjourned at 7:06 p.m.
Key points
- Tuesday, April 23, 2024: policy committee meeting at 5:00 p.m. in the high school library
- Tuesday, April 23, 2024: regular Board of Education meeting at 6:00 p.m. in the high school library, with 2024-25 budget adoption, approval of the property tax report card, and the BOCES budget vote and member election
- Wednesday, May 1, 2024: nominating petitions due to the board clerk by 5:00 p.m.
- Tuesday, May 7, 2024: Board of Education meeting and budget hearing at 6:00 p.m. in the high school library
- The budget presentation also showed a May 21 district budget vote and a property tax report card due April 29, which the board plans to adopt early on April 23
- There was no second executive session, and the meeting adjourned at 7:06 p.m.
During the budget presentation the business official said the 22nd is the deadline for petitions and that none had been received. The important dates read at the end of the meeting set nominating petitions due to the board clerk on May 1. Both are in the transcript and they do not agree.
About this page
FUTURE HUDSON is an experiment in civic engagement: every public meeting of the City of Hudson since January 2026, transcribed and made readable, so any resident can follow what the city is deciding without attending every meeting. This page covers one meeting; see the full archive.
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The meeting video was transcribed automatically; the transcript was then organized into sections and summarized. The raw transcript is above, every claim can be checked against it.
What to be skeptical of
The transcript is automated and contains speech-recognition errors; names and numbers may be wrong. This page has not been reviewed by a human. Nothing here is an official record, the school district's official minutes are authoritative.
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