Board Members:
Happy Friday! It's great to see the sun shining today, even though the rain we have had this week was much needed. It sounds like there is more in the forecast this weekend, and we'll take it. In any event, it is turning out to be a fantastic weather day for our elementary field day!
As is the case each May, the calendar is becoming compressed as we begin to wrap up the school year. We've had senior awards, numerous athletic events, and elementary concerts to pack the days. As if we weren't busy enough, we also managed to squeeze some special board meetings into the calendar! I continue to be incredibly grateful for the grace and flexibility that you all give me so I have the time I need to focus on Ann's health. It really means a lot to us!
We are still waiting for the dust to settle a bit on what all happened with this now ended legislative session, but I thought it would be important to share a bit insight into a couple of pieces of legislation and how I see them playing out here in Hudson. Now, a bit of a disclaimer: when I write these weekly updates, I try to do so as neutrally as possible. Even so, I am not naive enough to believe that my political bias doesn't come through from time to time. But today is one of those days where I am going to have to tell you directly where I stand.
The legislature passed, and the governor signed HF 2586, a bill authorizing school employees to be issued professional permits to carry weapons. Without getting too deep in the politics of this topic, I am not a proponent of the legislation and have no intention of asking the board to pursue such a policy. While not the only reason why, we already have a fully sworn and armed SRO in the district.
Additionally, a late appropriation was passed of $14 million that is designed for wage increases for paraeducator and other hourly wage employees. This is great and welcomed news for our hourly employees! The only trouble is that it was not included as a standing appropriation. Simply stated, this means the money is only included in the next year's budget. This is what we typically call 'one time money'. Which means it isn't sustainable. At this point, it is unclear what the allocation for Hudson is and how it can be distributed. This is probably not something that will be decided until sometime this fall. Stay tuned, there will be more on this for certain!
Have a great weekend and I hope you are able to get out and enjoy this fantastic spring day!
Dr. Tony Voss
Superintendent
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