At a glance
A draft budget that would trim teaching positions drew objections from board members, three residents and the student representative. District leaders presented a 2025-26 spending plan built on a 3.55% tax levy increase, described as the maximum allowable, and listed possible instructional reductions of four teacher positions, three psychologists, two reading teachers, one speech pathologist or eight teaching aides. Board members asked whether the district could lean harder on reserves and fund balance instead, and voiced general agreement to go to the cap and to keep hunting for reserves. No budget was adopted; the budget the board has to approve for the ballot comes back at the April 22 meeting. The board also heard a cradle to career presentation from Greater Hudson Promise Neighborhood, put its personnel and consensus agendas to voice votes, and set aside a draft district organizational chart for more work.
Roll Call and the Student Representative's Report
The board clerk called the roll, the board put the agenda to a voice vote, and the student representative ran through mock trial, Model UN, spring sports and upcoming student events.
Key points
- Members answering the roll included Amanda Grubler, Calvin Lewis, Matthew Mackerer, a member who answered as Mark and a member named Walker; a member named Jones was absent
- A motion to accept the agenda as presented was seconded and put to a voice vote
- The mock trial team made the county finals, to be held Thursday at the Columbia County Courthouse with a judge, a bailiff and a court clerk
- At the Model UN competition at Bard College, two Hudson delegates won outstanding delegate and another won a delegation commendation, in both committees
- The tennis team is two and two, and the student representative noted that no one on the team had played tennis in an official capacity before
- Student council plans to host a meet the board candidates night again, tentatively May 15 at 6:00 PM, once petitions close April 30
- Seniors are fielding sociology research surveys across the district, with a public expo of the findings April 25 in the high school library
The YouTube auto-captions do not label speakers. Names appear below only where someone was named out loud. The board member who answered the roll as 'Mark' gave no surname in the transcript, and the student representative is never named, so neither is identified further.
Cradle to Career: Greater Hudson Promise Neighborhood
Joan Hunt, executive director of Greater Hudson Promise Neighborhood, walked the board through the organization's history and programs and introduced a new cradle to career coalition. Board members asked about funding, capacity and the GED program.
Key points
- Hudson was one of 15 communities nationally to receive a US Department of Education planning grant in 2011, worth half a million dollars, stretched over two years before the federal money ended
- About 75% of the organization's funding now comes from foundations, with some state and county support; it serves about 2,000 people a year across all programs
- Programs include a drop in early learning program for children from birth to age five, an after school program with district busing, emergency and rental assistance, and transportation
- The organization has distributed $86,000 in rental assistance this year alone, which Hunt tied to the housing crisis
- It runs the Hudson Up basic income pilot, which gives 128 people in Hudson $500 a month for five years, and is expanding to a county program paying two individuals per 21 townships $500 a month for two years
- The Beyond GED program has had eight students complete their GED, with about 20 enrolled now; students receive a stipend for study hours, meals and transportation to tests
- Its work on children of incarcerated parents changed visiting at the Columbia County Jail so children can sit with a parent instead of meeting behind glass
- The new cradle to career coalition has met once and is meant to pull high level stakeholders toward shared goals from early childhood through college and career
From about 05:07 to 09:55 the meeting stalled on technical trouble loading the presentation, and the captions record only scattered fragments. Whatever was said in that stretch is not in this record.
A Broadway Field Trip to The Great Gatsby
Janet Brust, who teaches English 10 and 11 at the high school, asked the board to approve a field trip to see The Great Gatsby on Broadway.
Key points
- The trip would take approximately 36 students and chaperones to New York City
- The bus, through Yankee Trails, costs $2,300, covered by two grants, so students would pay $52 for tickets
- The trip is set for Saturday, May 10, leaving the high school about 8:00 AM and arriving in the city about 11:30, with a 2:00 PM matinee running two hours and 30 minutes
- The group would be back at the school about 9:00 PM
- Brust said her class already held a Gatsby day in the classroom and that seeing the show would be valuable for students
- Board members did not take a recorded vote on the trip during this part of the meeting
Policy Committee: Promotion Policy Delayed
The policy committee reported that the promotion and retention policy will wait one more cycle after feedback from the district's lawyers, and that the organizational chart came forward as a first read.
Key points
- The first read of the promotion and retention policy was delayed one cycle after the district's lawyers sent feedback; it goes back for another draft
- The committee reviewed the organizational chart one final time before its first read, describing it as a picture of roles already in place rather than a change
- The committee began work on a policy committee charter to formalize its own processes
- Next up for the committee are the code of conduct, the grading policy, and the policy governing how policies are made
Facilities: Capital Project, Pool and Inspections
The facilities committee, which met at 4:00 PM the same day, reported on the smart schools investment plan, the energy performance project, inspections and a new state rule on classroom heat.
Key points
- The smart schools investment plan project will cost $1.7 million and covers phone systems, Wi-Fi, cabling, PA systems, mass notification and cameras; data entry into the state portal is underway and results will come to a future board meeting
- Two possible dates were identified for a public information session on the capital project, April 29 or May 13, from 5:00 to 6:00 PM in the high school cafeteria, with the energy services firms and the project architect on hand for questions
- Kickoff meetings for the comprehensive audit tied to the energy proficiency project take place on the 14th of this month and will set a project timeline, a list of improvements, a financial baseline and a final contract proposal; the plan is to execute the contract in August
- A mailer is planned for all taxpayers with information about the capital project and the anticipated updates
- The maintenance mechanic will retire this summer, a full-time custodian has been added to replace a recent retiree, and one employee is out on a leave of absence
- Inspections ahead include the three year asbestos inspection due this year, sprinkler inspections in May at the elementary school and junior high, and lead testing of drinking water later in the year
- Under a new state initiative, students have to be moved out of a classroom above 88 degrees, and action is required above 82 degrees
- The pool hosted annual boat races on the 7th with Germantown districts attending, Catskill Elementary uses the pool in winter, and the public swim schedule is being posted to the district website
Audit Committee: A Clean Opinion for 2023-24
The audit committee reported on its April 3 meeting with the district finance team and the independent external auditor.
Key points
- The committee met April 3 with Dr. Pennyman, the district finance team and Mr. Prusser, the independent external auditor
- The auditor issued an unqualified opinion on the district's financial statements for the 2023-24 school year
- The statements were attached to the consensus agenda, and the committee recommended the board approve them
- Once approved, the statements will be posted to the district website
The Draft 2025-26 Budget
District leaders presented the draft 2025-26 budget, built on a 3.55% tax levy increase, and showed what closing the remaining gap would mean for instruction. Christy Ferry, four weeks into the job as executive director of business and finance, delivered the numbers.
Key points
- The proposal carries a tax levy increase of 3.55%, with the budget described as student centered, fiscally responsible and built on transparency and a long-term vision
- Holding expenses at the current level would mean an increase of 4.59%; trimming through attrition left a slight decrease, while general support and transportation rose
- Revenue was built from the 3.55% levy, a projected decrease in foundation aid, $1,147,630 of assigned fund balance and $335,350 of planned reserves, totaling $56,794,446, an increase of 2.14%
- Ferry said the presentation was created with Cindy Rahome, the interim business official, and that she started in the position four weeks ago, in the middle of budget season
- The difference between a 2% levy and the proposed 3.55% was described as roughly $2 to $4 a month for a taxpayer
- Possible reductions in instruction to match expenses to revenue were listed as four teacher positions, three psychologists, two reading teachers, one speech pathologist or eight teaching aides
- The proposed budget cuts the instruction category by almost 5% compared with a rollover budget
- Unknowns named were the unfinished New York State budget, the future of federal grant funding and inflation in goods and services
- A ten year enrollment trend showing decline was presented as one reason revenue falls
Much of this presentation was read off slides, and the captions damaged some numbers. The gap between rolled over expenses and revenue came through broken across a caption line and reads as roughly $1.4 million, which is not reliable enough to publish as an exact figure. The percentage drop in foundation aid, the attrition savings percentage and two instruction line totals are also damaged in the transcript and are left out here rather than repaired. There are also long silent stretches through this presentation where slides were on screen and nothing was said aloud.
Board Questions on Cuts, Reserves and Fund Balance
Board members pressed on where the reductions came from and asked whether more savings could be used to soften them. Staff said some answers would have to come later.
Key points
- One member said they were uncomfortable with this many proposed reductions this late in the year, both for people trying to find other jobs and for the district, and asked whether phasing positions out through retirement could take the place of direct reductions
- Staff confirmed the listed reductions are proposals, not the only positions that could change, and that they are reductions rather than repurposing
- The reserves proposed for use appear to be workers' compensation reserves; staff said they would have to get back to the board on whether that covers the full anticipated cost
- A member pointed to $550,000 in the tax reduction reserve from the 2016 Clark school sale that by law must be used within 10 years
- A member noted the district budgets $100,000 a year for interest income while the 2023-24 audited statements show $800,000 of interest, and suggested budgeting more realistically
- A member read from an earlier presentation showing that using $1,549,690 would leave about $4,350,000 in fund balance, and staff agreed that is approximately what the district has
- Staff said the difference between this proposal and an earlier version was the level of reserves used, $1.5 million in the earlier one against roughly $300,000 here
- Staff cautioned that using assigned fund balance to balance the budget has been the trend and that once it is gone there is none left
Two of the figures in this section were read aloud by a board member from an earlier budget presentation on screen, not from the current slides. They are recorded here as spoken.
Board Agrees to Aim for the Tax Cap
The chair asked whether members agreed on pursuing the 3.55% levy and on looking for other reserves to limit reductions. Members voiced agreement, but no formal vote was taken.
Key points
- Asked whether everyone agreed the district should pursue 3.55%, described as the maximum allowable, members said they agreed
- One member said it was important context that the district has been below the cap for a number of years and did not ask for money when it was not needed
- The same member said the state created an artificial limit that does not necessarily track actual expenditures over the long term, and supported going to the cap this year
- The chair asked whether members agreed to identify other reserves and fund balances to limit reductions, and a member answered yes
- Members said the district needs a long-term plan that tracks spending across years rather than year to year, and named transportation and contract renegotiation as places to look
- The chair said the final budget for board approval will be presented at the next board meeting
- No vote was recorded on the levy; this was stated agreement in discussion
The budget the board must approve for the ballot comes back at the April 22 meeting. A member asked about a drop dead filing date and staff answered April 25th, then said 25th or 28th, so the deadline was not settled on the record. The chair said special meetings could be called if needed.
Superintendent's Report: Spotlights and Student News
Dr. Pennyman handed out spotlights on excellence, began a new practice of highlighting individual students, and ran through district celebrations and reminders.
Key points
- The fourth grade team at the elementary school received a spotlight on excellence for its professional learning community work, described as the strongest seen in the district so far
- Augustus Ellsworth, known as Gus, received a spotlight for setting up budget presentations and community meetings across the district
- Three students were highlighted for college news: Olivia was accepted to Clark Atlanta University, Romela was accepted to Morgan State and plans to major in electrical engineering, and a third student earned aid covering the full cost to attend Cornell University along with acceptances elsewhere, including St. Lawrence University
- The district received a head of the class school safety award, one of at least 160 schools recognized, with the plaque hung in central office
- 299 students at the high school were celebrated on March 21 with popcorn at an On and Popping event for being free of attendance and discipline issues
- The elementary schools put on a musical on March 28, and a visiting dancer performed for the junior high in the cafeteria
- Reminders included conversations with the superintendent April 17, kindergarten screening April 15 and 16, and open pre-kindergarten enrollment
The captions damaged the names of the fourth grade teachers who came forward for the spotlight, the visiting dancer and the insurer that gave the safety award, so they are described rather than named. Students are referred to by first name only.
Department Updates: Teaching, Technology and HR
Teaching and learning, instructional technology and human resources each gave updates, with human resources presenting a year to date report on hiring, turnover and training.
Key points
- The summer scholars program runs July 7 through August 7, with teacher recommendations being gathered and weekly embedded professional development built in
- State assessments start April 22 and 23 with junior high ELA, math April 29 and 30, and science May 8; the elementary school starts with science April 29, ELA May 6 and 7, and math May 13 and 14
- The district comprehensive improvement plan team met and reviewed four priorities: professional learning communities, MTSS, social and emotional learning, and project based learning
- Instructional technology launched Bluehawk Tech Talk inside the district technology newsletter, is drafting an AI policy and plan, and is preparing a survey of students, staff and families to inform next year's technology plan
- Two technology grants were submitted, a records digitization grant on March 24 and a Connect All program capacity grant on March 31 that would fund devices, mobile devices for every classroom, professional development and an instructional technology coach for the elementary school
- Human resources created 156 job postings this school year, and 59 people have left the district in 2024-25 to date
- Of 103 exit interview surveys emailed to former employees, nine came back, so the department has moved to in person exit interviews
- Employee turnover was 14.7% in 2023-24 and is 16.3% in 2024-25 to date, across about 360 employees
- The district has 19 teacher coaches, 19 non-teaching coaches and four volunteer coaches, and worked through a certification problem so that all spring coaches are now covered
- A new partnership with Mercy University would help teaching assistants become special education teachers; seven people attended the info session
The breakdown of the 156 postings between certificated and civil service positions, and the workers' compensation and FMLA case counts, came through the captions with broken numbers and years, so they are not repeated here.
Public Comment on Staff Cuts, Then Closing Business
Four speakers, including the student representative, urged the board to rethink the proposed instructional reductions. The board then tabled the organizational chart, put the consensus agenda to a voice vote and went into executive session.
Key points
- Laura Bender said the first solution presented was cuts to instructional staff, which does the opposite of minimizing impact on students, and pointed out that the district has identified a need for reading help while proposing to cut reading teachers
- A second speaker questioned hiring more administrators and consultants after the assistant superintendent position was cut as unnecessary for a small district, and asked what consultants are paid by the hour compared with an aide or a teacher
- A third speaker said the cart is before the horse, contrasting spending on LED lighting and a building wraparound with fewer teachers, psychologists and speech pathologists
- The student representative said the figure of eight aides was shocking, called aides already understaffed, and asked the board to reconsider those numbers
- The chair noted before public comment that the board is there to listen, does not respond the same night, and cannot entertain comments about school personnel, with three minutes per speaker
- The draft district organizational chart was tabled for another pass over where the lines are drawn
- Motions to accept personnel agenda items A1 through 10 and B1 through 3, and to approve consensus agenda items A through H, were each seconded and put to voice votes
- A member reported chaperoning the PTO fourth and fifth grade dance at the elementary school, where about 98 kids signed up
- The board moved to enter executive session at 7:50 PM to discuss employment matters concerning particular people, with no further business afterward
The captions pick up the motions, the seconds and the call for 'all in favor' but not the responses, so this page says the motions were put to a voice vote rather than that they passed.
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.
About coverage of this body
Board of Education meetings are livestreamed by the Hudson City School District to its own YouTube channel. The school district is a separate government from the City of Hudson. If a meeting is missing from the archive, the recording was likely not posted. See the archive index for the full coverage note.