At a glance
A national affordable housing developer asked the Hudson City School District Board of Education for a term sheet on the empty John L. Edwards Elementary School, pitching roughly 67 studio and one bedroom senior apartments plus community space. Dylan Salmons of Penrose told the board the company wants a resolution and an executed term sheet at the next meeting, and said selling school property in New York requires a district wide vote, which Penrose hopes to see in May 2025. The board asked questions but took no action on the proposal. Members also welcomed three new staff members, adopted policies on non-discrimination and on sex discrimination under Title IX, heard midyear reading and math results that showed math slipping at the top tier, and listened to a new transportation consultant describe contract problems that had been costing the district state aid since September. Nobody signed up for public comment, and the board closed by moving into executive session.
Roll Call, Agenda and the Student Report
Six board members answered the roll call, one was absent, and the board voted to accept the agenda as presented. The student representative then ran through a packed few weeks of club and class activity.
Key points
- Mark DePace, Amanda Grubler, Kjirsten Gustavson, Calvin Lewis and Leia Walker answered the roll call, along with a member the captions caught only as Jones. Matthew Mackerer was absent
- A motion to accept the agenda as presented was seconded and put to a voice vote
- The talent show runs Friday during ninth period, with students released at the end of eighth period
- The environmental club is selling flower bulbs and massage coupons, National Honor Society is selling pretzels at lunch and after school, and the class of 2026 is restarting its Brooks barbecue sales
- The Queen of Hearts dance was rescheduled because of weather and chaperone complications
- Model UN hosts an adult Model UN for the public, teachers and alumni on March 8, and the Varsity Club runs its Goats of the Court basketball tournament after school on March 11
- One academic competition club gave its oral presentation that day, and the student representative hopes to present on all of the district's competitive clubs at the February 25 meeting
This is a YouTube auto caption transcript with no speaker labels, and it garbles surnames. Names appear below only where the transcript says them, spellings are approximate, and people are described by role where the captions did not give a usable name. The first minute of audio also has microphone trouble before the roll call begins.
Penrose Pitches Senior Apartments at John L. Edwards
Two representatives of Penrose, an affordable housing developer, presented the company's interest in converting the John L. Edwards Elementary School into senior affordable housing with community space, and laid out the financing timeline they would need to hit.
Key points
- Dylan Salmons, regional vice president and partner at Penrose, presented with Jonah, an associate at the company. He described Penrose as a 50 year old privately held affordable housing owner, operator and developer with a 26 state footprint, a 550 person staff and well over 400 communities
- Salmons said Penrose starts roughly 15 to 20 projects a year, putting 1,200 to 1,800 apartments into its pipeline and issuing keys to about 1,500 units a year, and has more than 700 units under construction in New York State, including 141 units finishing in Troy and a project in Kingston
- He said the company has completed almost 50 adaptive reuses of churches, schools and hospitals worth well over half a billion dollars, and showed Mary D. Stone Apartments in Auburn, Massachusetts and a $45 million conversion of a middle school outside Boston into 74 units of age restricted affordable housing with 10,000 square feet of commercial space
- A feasibility study by the architect Penrose used on those two projects suggests around 67 studio and one bedroom units at John L. Edwards, plus approximately 2,000 square feet of community center space to be run as a youth or educational center
- Units would be affordable up to 50% of area median income, which Salmons and Jonah put at an income limit of about $38,725 and a net rent of about $880
- The first floor concept includes a 900 square foot community room, an 800 square foot fitness room and onsite management offices, with land behind the school proposed for a playground, outdoor fitness equipment, a cricket field, a community garden or outdoor seating
- Penrose said it submitted a term sheet to the board in February and is chasing a 9% tax credit application deadline with New York State Homes and Community Renewal, with SHPO historic review part one in the second quarter of 2025, part two in the third quarter, and a closing typically nine months after an award. Salmons said disposition of school property in New York requires a district vote, and Penrose had heard May 2025 would be the best time for it
Penrose asked the board to pass a resolution and execute a term sheet at the next board meeting, which would be followed by negotiation of a purchase and sale agreement. The board took no vote on the proposal at this meeting.
The architect's name is rendered three different ways in the transcript and is not reproduced here. The day of the term sheet submission is missing from the captions, which give only the month and year.
Questions on Partners, the Building's Look and Asbestos
The student representative and a board member questioned Penrose about local partnerships, mixing seniors with a youth center, community benefit agreements, and the condition of a building that has stood empty for years.
Key points
- Thomas, the student representative, asked which organizations and partnerships the project would need. Salmons said the 2,000 square foot community facility would likely be leased to a local education or recreation group, and named Gateway of the Hudson Valley, which connects disabled people with jobs and training, as a regional nonprofit Penrose would look to partner with
- Asked how senior housing alongside a youth center has worked elsewhere, Salmons said Penrose regularly pairs senior buildings with daycare or youth education space and has seen it go well, citing a 13,000 square foot daycare next to an 80 unit senior building being delivered in Kingston
- Asked about community benefit agreements, Salmons said those are usually led by the locality as part of a rezoning, described a Brooklyn project where a city council led agreement produced discounted retail space and deeper affordability, and said Penrose would not shy away from one
- A board member said the building carries real community importance, with many in the room having attended it or sent children there, and asked whether the use of historic tax credits means the exterior stays. Salmons said the midcentury look is incredible, and the plan would be to get the building listed and keep all the significance it can
- Asked whether years of vacancy and asbestos concerned them, Salmons said Penrose is budgeting from the outset for a gut renovation given the building's vintage, and expects a lot of selective investigation of mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems
Personnel Vote and Three New Staff Members
The board took up personnel items, then the district introduced three new hires and read their backgrounds aloud.
Key points
- A motion to accept the personnel items was seconded and put to a voice vote
- Tyler Barbato joins as a business education teacher. She has taught grades 6 through 12 business for four years, holds a degree in business management with a minor in sports management from Newbury College in Boston, was nominated as a teacher of the year candidate and chosen as a hero teacher by her students, and coaches basketball
- Christy Ferry joins as executive director of business and finance. She taught special education and co-taught general education, served as an assistant principal, then moved into a district business office as assistant director of grants and title funding before advancing to director of grants development
- Ferry holds building and district leadership credentials from the Massachusetts College of Liberal Arts, a master's in childhood education from the State University of New York at Albany, and a bachelor of science in elementary and special education from Rhode Island College
- Deanna James Hughes joins after 18 years as a special education leader, the last seven as a district leader in East Harlem supporting principals, teachers, psychologists, social workers and families, evaluating IEPs for compliance and recommending academic and behavioral support programs
- James Hughes holds degrees from Hunter College, Brooklyn College and Mercy College and is pursuing a doctorate in K-12 leadership at St. Peter's University
The captions garble the item letters in the motion, so the specific personnel items are not listed here.
Policy Adoptions and an Empty Public Comment Period
The board adopted a revised non-discrimination policy, rescinded the regulation that went with it, and adopted three Title IX documents on third reading. Nobody signed up to speak during public comment.
Key points
- The board adopted revised policy 0100 and rescinded policy 0100R, non-discrimination and equal opportunity
- A board member explained that recently adopted policies 110 and 115 already set out the same complaint processes, making the regulation redundant
- Policy 0111, its regulation 0111R and its exhibit 0111E, on sex discrimination and sex based harassment under Title IX, were up for third reading and were adopted by motion and second
- Before public comment, the board read its standard statement: state law does not require a public comment period, the board holds one to hear from community members, it listens rather than responds on the night, and privacy law bars comments or questions about school personnel
- No one signed up to speak
The captions record each motion, its second and the call for all in favor, but not the members' responses. These are described as motions put to a voice vote rather than as adopted tallies. The captions also garble the name of the organization whose recommendation prompted rescinding policy 0100R.
Spotlight on Excellence Returns, and a Winter Sports Update
The superintendent wished everyone a happy Black History Month, restarted the Spotlight on Excellence recognitions after a pause, and then read the winter sports update because the athletic director was at a basketball game.
Key points
- The superintendent said Spotlight on Excellence is a recognition created for staff, teachers, parents and students caught doing something great, that it had been paused on feedback, and that it will now happen at every board meeting and cover all staff including custodians
- The junior high faculty and staff were recognized for perfect attendance by every faculty and staff member on a day in January
- Individual recognitions went to teacher's aide Gunga Badila, school monitors Darren Collins and Darnell Harris, art teacher Christine Flood, Blue Hawk teaching assistant Eric Gregory, elementary teacher Allison Hagner, restorative practice specialist Larry Walker, a doctor named Julia praised for her work with students and her service on district improvement committees, a junior high teacher named Rebecca, and a staff member named Noblin who held down human resources before Brooks came to the department
- Kelly McDonald was welcomed back as payroll clerk, with the superintendent saying publicly that no one can do the job like her
- In winter sports, the varsity bowling team finished 12 to 4 and placed fourth at the conference championship, and the varsity boys volleyball team improved from one win last year to six this year with matches still to play
- The JV boys basketball team stood at 14 to 1 and the varsity boys basketball team at 13-3 with a chance at the conference title
- Girls basketball started with very low numbers, but coaches recruited enough players to field teams at all levels, and the district hosted the league swimming championship on February 1 in what the superintendent called one of the best pools in Columbia County
Several staff names in this stretch are garbled or given only in part, and are written here as the captions render them or by first name only. The date of the junior high perfect attendance day comes through as "January 2 24th" and is described generally rather than repaired. The junior high administrator who accepted the award is named two different ways and is not identified here.
Human Resources and the Business Office Rebuild
Human resources reported a rewritten equal opportunity statement and a realigned department, and said the district has finally filled several long open seats. The superintendent later added the business department's own update.
Key points
- HR rewrote the equal opportunity statement on job postings, replacing outdated wording with a statement citing Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, Title IX of the education amendments of 1972, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, the Age Discrimination Act of 1975 and New York State human rights law
- Tracy joined the human resources department, and duties were realigned so that one staff member handles non-instructional employees and another handles the rest, with an organizational chart coming
- HR said the district has had no permanent business official and has been using interim help, with the HR and business departments working side by side to keep things running
- The department is cross training its staff and taking software training so the district uses the systems it already pays for
- HR reported the district has now secured an executive director of business and finance and a director of student services, and has Kelly McDonald back
- In the business department update, the superintendent said department heads have started meeting to develop next year's budget and the department is working with auditors to close the 2024 school year
- Susan Hutter's last day is Friday. Cynthia Rayome, who has over 25 years of experience as a business official, will fill in until Ferry comes on board
The human resources update starts at 56:47. The business department update, given by the superintendent, comes later in the meeting at about 69:18 and is grouped here because it covers the same staffing gap.
Midyear Reading and Math Results
The teaching and learning department presented middle of the year FastBridge results for grades K through 8, showing reading steady and math sliding out of the top tier. Board members asked about testing tools and how teachers use the data.
Key points
- 950 students in grades K through 8 tested in reading, and the high school is not included in these results
- In reading nothing moved across the tiers: 374 students, or 39%, are Tier 1, the same as the fall, with tier 2 at 28% and tier 3 at 31% in the fall and 32% in the winter
- In math, of 948 students tested, 325 students or 34% are Tier 1, down from 40% in the fall. 79 students moved from Tier 1 to tier 2 and 13 moved from Tier 1 to tier 3
- Math tier 2 held 260 students, or 29%, in the fall and 34% in the winter. Of that fall group, 162 stayed in tier 2, 57 dropped to tier 3 and 41 moved up to Tier 1
- Math tier 3 held 259 students, or 29%, in the fall and 299 students, or 31%, in the winter. Of the fall 259, 193 stayed, 57 moved up to tier 2 and nine moved to Tier 1, which the presenter called a reason to celebrate
- State required computer based testing simulations ran without hiccups, though some students struggled with onscreen tools such as the calculator, so teachers are giving more practice using a website that shows state test style items
- The literacy committee of teachers, administrators and literacy coaches found no consistent systemwide approach to teaching English language arts across the grades and will write a district literacy framework. The professional development committee is aligning PD with the strategic plan goals
- In questions, the board heard that students must use the onscreen tools rather than a handheld calculator but may keep paper and pencil for math, that teachers do get individual student data and use it to group students and assign interventions, and that high school data was not finished when the slide was made and will be presented at the next meeting
The winter headcount for math tier 2 comes through the captions as "300 26 students or 34%," so the percentage is reported here and the student count is not.
Mentoring Meals, the Code of Conduct and After School Review
A district administrator reported on a staff led mentoring effort that brought one student back to school, a music collaboration in the works, code of conduct feedback, and the coming evaluation of the after school program.
Key points
- Two staff members, Larry and Darren, came together through My Brother's Keeper and the family and community engagement program to hold a meal with students every other week
- A student who had dropped out and was not coming to school heard about that fellowship and is back in school, and the administrator said the point is not only that a student talks to you but whether you are listening
- Meetings are scheduled with the music department and with Beautiful Racket, a community choir whose leader also works with students at lunchtime, to plan a collaboration
- The district is asking all stakeholders for feedback on the code of conduct. The first set of policies went out and the second set has already followed
- Jared, a My Brother's Keeper student who graduated in January, is going to college. The district called him, plans a celebration, and has invited him to a SUNY stand and deliver event on Thursday, weather permitting
- The 21st Century after school program will be evaluated by the Brockport Research Institute, which visits at least twice a year and observes from 2:30 to 6:30 p.m. at MC Smith, the junior high and the high school
- Cartwheel telehealth counseling is available to students after school hours and on weekends, and one student has graduated from the service and is doing well. School improvement surveys go out next, with a video planned to push for full participation
Records Grant, Google Shutoff and Cybersecurity Training
The technology report covered a records grant now paying for a records purge, the state ordered shutoff of several Google services, and a new phishing awareness program for staff.
Key points
- The district was awarded a records grant of $70,000, used to hire a project coordinator and project staff to purge records it no longer needs, organize the ones it does, and plan for digitization
- BOCES consultants return later this month for more training and record purging. The grant runs through June 30, and a report on the work will come back to the board
- Technology worked with administrators and testing coordinators on the computer based testing simulations, making sure devices were charged and accommodations such as headphones were ready, and supported the high school during Regents exams
- On state guidance, several Google services are being dropped over data collection. The additional services were shut off for the district yesterday and the state shuts them off permanently on March 1
- Students keep the core Google services, teachers keep full access, and teachers can still embed material such as YouTube videos into Google Classroom or a Google document for students to reach
- A new cybersecurity awareness program replaces the one the district had been using and starts tomorrow, with a two minute onboarding video for any staff member followed by training campaigns of simulated phishing emails that staff can report, along with real ones they spot
- A student version of the cybersecurity training is planned for the fall, pitched at younger students' level
Transportation Contracts and Lost State Aid
The district's transportation consultant reported that incorrect contract paperwork had been costing the district state aid on some runs since September, and walked the board through the compliance and software fixes underway.
Key points
- Reviewing the 2023-24 transportation contracts as backup for 2024-25, the consultant found contract numbers that were not correct, called the state, and bid three runs the day before the meeting so they will now draw state reimbursement
- He said a run without an approved contract loses 50% of what comes back to the district, that those runs have drawn no aid since September, and that they start drawing aid tomorrow
- Bus safety drills required in the first seven days of September had not been done. He ran one around November 12 and the second the following week, putting the district in compliance, with the next drill due between March and April
- The district has owned the Traversa student transportation software since 2023 without using it. Passwords and training are now in place, and once every child is routed it will roll over each year and show which students are on which bus. Germantown and a second district also use it
- Contracts now have to go into a computerized SharePoint system visible to the business manager, board president, contractor and the state. The district is scanning them in the meantime and is not yet in compliance
- An F1 visa is now on file for an exchange student who attends Hawthorne Valley, which the district had not done before, and requests for transportation to nonpublic schools for 2025-26 must come back by April 1 under a state law that sets a 15 mile radius
- 31-day emergency contracts were secured for runs that could not wait, after an attempt to share a route with a district that owns its own buses fell through. Asked whether the restored aid is retroactive, the consultant said he would plead the case to the state and has succeeded before, but that some contracts probably will not be approved
The consultant is introduced as Mr. Bill with a surname the captions garble, so only the role is used here. The second district that uses the same routing software, and the section of state law behind the April 1 deadline, are also garbled and are not reproduced.
Consensus Agenda, Upcoming Meetings and Executive Session
The board approved its consensus agenda, listed the next month of meetings, and moved into executive session on real property and personnel matters.
Key points
- A motion to approve consensus agenda items A through I was seconded and put to a voice vote
- A second call for public comment drew no speakers
- Upcoming meetings: policy committee February 25, 2025 from 5:00 to 5:45 p.m. in the high school library, and a Board of Education meeting February 25 at 6:00 p.m. in the high school auditorium
- Also policy committee March 11, 2025 from 5:00 to 5:45 p.m. in the high school library, and a Board of Education meeting March 11 at 6:00 p.m. in the high school auditorium
- The board moved to enter executive session at 7:37 for proposed acquisition, sale and lease of real property, to discuss the employment history of particular persons, and to appoint Mark DePace to a clerk role. The motion was seconded and put to a voice vote
- The presiding member said there would be no further business after the session
The captions render the role Mark DePace was appointed to as "Kirk PE turn," which is not readable with confidence, so it is described here only as a clerk role.
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.
How it was made
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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