HUDSON—Summer school and evolving requirements received attention at the Hudson City School District (HCSD) Board of Education meetings April 13 and 20.

The district is expanding summer school to serve kindergarten through 12th grade, Superintendent Maria L. Suttmeier and Assistant Superintendent of School Improvement April Prestipino announced. In recent years, it has served only 6th through 12th grade. But now, more students in all grades need to make up for the past year’s “learning loss” and get set for the next grade, Dr. Suttmeier said. With the increased summer enrollment, the district will provide buses to summer school.

Even in the regular school year, Business Administrator Jesse Boehme reported the need to increase bus runs, telling the board, “we’re bringing in more” junior and senior high school students. Eleventh and twelfth graders now have the option of coming to school in person twice a week. And Dr. Suttmeier has reported that about 50 junior high students who were judged insufficiently responsive have started coming in four days a week. Read more…

HUDSON—School District officials presented a proposed budget for the 2021-22 school year to the Board of Education at meetings April 13 and 20. The proposed budget of $52 million, with a 1.35% tax levy increase, faces voters in the school elections of May 18. The election will also include three board seats.

The proposal calls for state aid covering $25.3 million (48.4%) of the total, with local taxes contributing $24.5 million (46.8%), and other sources covering 4.8%. The total $52.2 million is 3.08% higher than the current budget and the tax levy 1.35% higher. The revenue sources are in line with previous years: about 95% divided almost evenly between state aid and local taxes.

Of the state aid, several categories depending on school enrollment will stay separate, despite proposals to combine them all into one category called “service aid,” reported school district Business Administrator Jesse Boehme approvingly. Read more…