At a glance
The district's new director of student services told the Hudson City School District Board of Education that the state has flagged Hudson two years running over how it handles suspensions of students with disabilities, and that a third problem, notifying parents the day a placement decision is made, was added this year. The board also heard that the afterschool program registered 296 students against a target of 100, and reviewed Panorama survey results in which older students scored engagement, school climate and belonging well below younger students. Board members honored two colleagues who were leaving, Wulette Jones after nine years and Leia after three, and congratulated nine retiring teachers. A high school social studies teacher used public comment to tell the board that teachers feel frustrated, unheard and disrespected, citing observations crammed into the final weeks of school and staffing news that reached people indirectly. The personnel agenda and most of the consensus agenda were put to voice votes, and the board suspended the meeting at 7:45 p.m. with another executive session to follow.
Pledge, Roll Call and an Added Executive Session
The meeting opened with the pledge and a roll call answered by seven board members. Before approving the agenda, a member moved to add an executive session on one person's employment history.
Key points
- Seven members answered the roll call: Mark DePace, Amanda Grubler, Kjirsten Gustavson, Wulette Jones, Calvin Lewis, Matthew Mackerer and Leia Walker
- A member moved to add a first executive session for the purposes of discussing a particular person's employment history, before the agenda was approved
- The motion was seconded and put to a voice vote, and the agenda was then moved with that one change and also put to a voice vote
- The presider restated the change for people following along after a microphone problem
- The captions record the calls for 'all in favor' but not the responses, so the transcript does not show how members voted
The captions begin at 2:30 with the pledge, so anything before that, including the call to order, is not in the record. Board member surnames are auto-captioned and spelled inconsistently ('Deace' for DePace, 'Marer' and later 'Mara' for Mackerer, 'Guffson' for Gustavson, 'Willlette' and later 'Wulette' for Jones). Names that do not appear on the district's roster are given here as the captions rendered them.
State Review of Suspensions of Students With Disabilities
Deanna James Hughes, the newly appointed director of student services, walked the board through the state's suspension review of the district. Two areas flagged in the previous review were flagged again, and a third was added.
Key points
- The review is run by the state education department's special education quality assurance team, which examines districts where data shows a significant discrepancy in the suspension of students with disabilities
- The report is coded for the 2024-25 school year but uses 2023-24 data, and the all day on-site review took place April 25
- Reviewers pulled suspension compliance records, student sample charts, eSchool data, disciplinary change of placement worksheets, suspension letters, individualized education plans, manifestation determination forms and behavior intervention plans where they existed
- Section 201.4(a), on manifestation review, and section 201.10(d), on educating a student during a removal, were flagged in the prior review and flagged again this year
- A new finding this year concerns parental notification: parents must be told, with procedural safeguards, no later than the date a change of placement decision is made
- Hughes said the district has been working with the team since October 2023 and credited her predecessor Kim Liebolt, and said the goal is to avoid entering corrective action by building a plan specific to Hudson
- She outlined a draft action plan covering laws and guideposts, discipline due process, behavioral protocols, professional development, student supports, monitoring and accountability, and family engagement, and called it a starting point for discussion rather than the plan
The captions render the regulation numbers several ways, including '2011.14A', '2011.4A', '201.4', '2011.10D' and '200.59F'. They are written here as the two sections the presenter described, and should be checked against her slides before being quoted.
Hughes said the state is preparing to ask districts for an action plan under a program she called Pathway to Change, and that she would bring a Hudson specific plan back through district and building leadership, staff and the existing targeted skills, compliance review and early intervening services groups.
Board Questions on the Suspension Review
Board members pressed on the sample, on whether the district had closed the gaps from the first review, and on how far behind the state's feedback runs.
Key points
- The sample size of 20 students is set by the state team, and all 20 were students with disabilities
- Students were selected by number of suspensions, starting with the student who had the most and working down until the list reached 20
- The 20 students happened to span all three buildings, which Hughes said would not necessarily be true in another year
- A member confirmed with Hughes that the district had not closed the gap on the two sections flagged in the first review, and that a third area had been added
- Hughes said the compliance assurance plan is another state name for this same review, and that the team follows a rubric set by the state
- Asked whether the next review would come the following April, Hughes said she could not confirm the state's schedule because she does not work in that department
- Asked how a review focused on students with disabilities affects everyone else, Hughes said reviewers also examine general education policies and that suspension applies to any student
Student Representatives, Outgoing and Incoming
Next year's student representative was introduced, and later in the meeting the outgoing student representative, Thomas, gave a final report.
Key points
- A speaker introduced next year's student representative, describing her as a member of mock trial, part of the first class of the district's harmony project, and the incoming student council president
- In a final report at 63:14, Thomas thanked the board and the student body and said it had been an honor to represent students
- Thomas reported that Regents exams were finished, senior events had gone well, baccalaureate had started an hour before the meeting, and graduation was that Friday
- Seniors would walk through all the buildings Friday morning, starting at the elementary school and ending with teachers at the high school
- Thomas said a school trip to Europe was planned for July, with an itinerary received that day covering Paris, Germany and Switzerland, and said the hope was that trips like it would continue
- During an earlier presentation, staff said they are considering inviting a student representative to the monthly student support community team meetings so that a student voice is in the room
The captions render the incoming student representative's first name three different ways in under a minute, so it is not reliable enough to print here.
Afterschool Grant, My Brother's Keeper and Staff Recognition
A district administrator reported on the 21st Century afterschool program and the My Brother's Keeper we see you event, using evaluation data from an outside consultant.
Key points
- The 21st Century Community Learning Centers program set a target of 100 students and reported 296 registered, with a waiting list
- The report gave 254 students, described as 94 percent, enrolled in at least one ELA, math and STEM activity
- Evaluation data comes from the Brockport Research Institute, which visits each building at least twice a school year, observes the program and reports to the state
- The consultant praised the program site director and the writing center, and the presenter described a Carnival cruise themed celebration held during a school break because students could not go on a cruise
- The afterschool program handbook is finished except for tiered interventions and outcomes, which will be aligned with the code of conduct and added in July
- Two teachers gave video feedback on the My Brother's Keeper we see you event, saying teachers felt valued, respected and seen, and that students from the program and Bluehawk Academy served lunch to staff
- The student support community team read all nine chapters of Zaretta Hammond's book on culturally responsive teaching and the brain, held monthly discussions and two planning days, and suggested reviving a check and connect program with small groups of students
The transcript says 296 students registered and that 'about 24 of them attend regularly,' then gives 254 students as 94 percent of the program. Those three numbers cannot all be right as captioned. The 296 and the 254 are quoted as spoken; the regular attendance figure is left out here because the caption is unreliable.
Panorama Survey Results and How They Were Collected
The same presenter ran through Panorama survey percentages for two grade bands, and board members asked to see the underlying questions and year over year comparisons.
Key points
- 259 students in grades 3 through 5 responded, and 200 students in grades 6 through 12 responded
- For grades 3 through 5 the presenter gave rigorous expectations 65 percent, valuing of math 63 percent, valuing of school 62 percent, sense of belonging 56 percent and valuing of ELA 51 percent
- Also for grades 3 through 5: school safety 50 percent, cell phone impact 48 percent, engagement 44 percent and school climate 43 percent
- For grades 6 through 12: rigorous expectations 49 percent, valuing of school 39 percent, valuing of ELA 37 percent, valuing of math 37 percent, sense of belonging 28 percent, school climate 24 percent and engagement 19 percent
- The presenter said few of those responses came from grades 9 through 12, so most of the 6 through 12 results reflect the junior high, and said the lower numbers need to be unpacked rather than explained away by the age group
- Amanda Grubler asked for the specific survey questions to be shared in the board weeklies, along with year over year data, and a follow-up question asked for response rates per question
- Another speaker said elementary students appear to have been given class time to take the survey while high school students likely were not, and argued time should be set aside if the survey influences policy
The captions merge some category labels with the numbers beside them, and the cell phone impact figure for grades 6 through 12 comes through as '30 45%', so it is left out. The pairings above follow the order the presenter spoke them and should be checked against the slides.
Committee Reports and the New Cell Phone Policy
The audit and policy committees reported. Policy is drafting a cell phone policy required by new state law and re-upping the existing code of conduct until the revised one is ready.
Key points
- The audit committee met June 17 with the superintendent, the executive director of business and finance and the treasurer
- The committee continued its review of audit comments and the business office's corrective action plans, and reported progress with some items still incomplete
- There was no facilities report
- The policy committee, which meets whenever the board meets, began work on a cell phone policy after a new state law requiring one
- Each school building has a team giving feedback on an age appropriate approach, and the committee will piece those responses together
- The code of conduct on the agenda is the old version, re-upped in the interim because the revised code of conduct is in its finalization stage and expected in July
Farewells for Two Board Members, Then Executive Session
A board member thanked two colleagues who were leaving before the board went into the executive session it had added to the agenda.
Key points
- Wulette Jones was thanked for nine years of board service and described as a constant presence in the lives of students who advocates fiercely for children and the community
- Leia was thanked for three years of service, and the speaker said they first met her when she came to speak during public comment and knew she was a voice the board needed
- The speaker said they had gotten to know both families outside of school, at games, festivals and homecoming
- A motion was made to enter executive session at 7:07 p.m. to discuss the employment history of a particular person or persons, seconded and put to a voice vote
- The board returned and a motion was made to end the executive session at 7:21 p.m., with the board waiting briefly for two members to come back
The captions jump from 68:32 to 82:52, covering the executive session, so roughly fourteen minutes of the meeting are not in the transcript. Executive sessions are closed to the public, so that is expected, but nothing from that stretch is available to check.
Personnel Agenda and Nine Retiring Teachers
The board took up the personnel agenda, then congratulated the district's teacher retirees.
Key points
- A motion was made to approve personnel agenda items A1 through A11 and B1 through B9, seconded and put to a voice vote
- Nine teacher retirees were congratulated on behalf of the board and the superintendent, with years of service read aloud for each
- The service figures read out ranged from 16.7 years to 31.7 years
- The board wished the retirees good health and happiness in the years ahead
The captions garble several of the retirees' names badly enough that printing them would risk getting a person's name wrong, so they are left out. The names were read aloud starting at 85:23 in the video.
Public Comment: Policy, Staffing and Teacher Morale
Three people signed up for public comment. One teacher told the board that staff feel unheard, and a resident asked which retiring positions are coming back.
Key points
- The board explained the rules first: the board listens rather than discusses, cannot take comments or questions about school personnel under state and federal privacy law, and each speaker gets three minutes
- A resident named Nikki raised concerns about how policy updates are being done, pointed to the attendance policy, and said the public wants to know which of the jobs on the retirement list are not coming back
- A board member replied that they hear the concern about meeting once a month, will keep an eye on it, and can call special meetings to get things approved in time
- Shannon Sullivan was called to speak, and the captions capture almost nothing of what she said
- Laura Bender, a social studies teacher at the high school, said she was speaking in a new role as president, though the transcript does not say of what
- Bender said teachers are feeling frustrated, unheard and disrespected, and that while building level administrators are more present and supportive, many members feel disconnected at the district level
- Bender said a large number of teachers were observed in the final weeks of school, some on the very last day of classes, which makes feedback a formality rather than a tool for growth
- Bender said several teachers learned of transfers or new assignments indirectly rather than in a direct professional conversation, and recalled speaking to the board in October about losing veteran teachers
From 87:26 to about 94:16 the captions collapse into scattered fragments with long silent gaps, so most of the first two comments, including nearly all of Shannon Sullivan's, is absent from the record. Laura Bender's comment is captured more fully but still has broken passages. What is written above is only what the captions actually carry.
Superintendent's Report: College Credits, Summer Meals and the Year's Work
Superintendent Juliet Pennyman closed out the year with student results, a summer meals partnership and a list of what the district started this year.
Key points
- Three seniors in the district's early college program received 27 college credits over two years
- A partnership will provide five days of breakfasts and lunches for students this summer, picked up at 41 North Street every Wednesday from July 9 until August 20, from 10:45 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.
- Thousands of dollars in awards and scholarships were given out at the annual senior award night
- Pennyman said the district was written up in a national Ed Week newspaper piece about its chronic absenteeism work and increased student attendance this year
- The AVID program was brought back, and sixth, seventh and eighth graders will have it in the coming year, with the AVID team going to training this summer
- Pennyman said the district put in a process for academic intervention services and professional learning communities this year, and will focus on small group instruction next year
- Priorities for next year will be shared by opening day in September
An isolated '287.' appears in the captions during this report with no sentence around it, so there is no way to tell what it counted. It is not used here.
Policy Re-ups, Consensus Agenda and Meeting Dates
The board handled annual policy re-ups, pulled three items off the consensus agenda, read the summer meeting schedule and suspended the meeting.
Key points
- The policies in new business are annual re-ups with no changes from the previous year, and a member invited the attendance team to suggest changes to the attendance policy for the coming year's review list
- A policy charter approved at an earlier meeting opens the policy committee to members of the public as speaking participants, and an invitation will go out in July to families, teachers, staff and building leaders
- Items F and K were tabled and item L was pulled, and the rest of the consensus agenda, items A through E, G through J and M through U, was moved and put to a voice vote
- A separate motion covered item L, the 2025-2026 employment agreement addendums for Shante Brooks, Christy Ferry, Dr. Elsa Courtright Torres, Dr. Tia Pressie and Dr. Juliet Pennyman, with a transportation amendment tabled for the moment
- No one else had signed up for the second public forum, and there was no old business or further board discussion
- The summer schedule was read: July 2 reorganization meeting, July 15 policy committee, July 22 regular meeting, August 5 special education meeting, August 12 policy committee and August 19 regular meeting
- The board moved to suspend the meeting at 7:45 p.m., with refreshments and then another executive session to follow and no further business after that
As with the rest of the meeting, the captions record the motions, the seconds and the call for 'all in favor' but not the responses, so the transcript shows these items were put to voice votes and does not show the outcome.
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.