Winners of Star Grants from the Education Foundation were recognized at a ceremony at Hudson High School, among those recognized were, front from left, Melissa Gruenes, Samantha Thrane, Karla Willaby, Sarah Cook and Amy Anderson; back from left, Foundation Board President John Kromer, Heather Fey, Lisa Dumont, Amanda Fedor, Dan Weiland and Foundation Board member Scott Snyder.

The Education Foundation of Hudson awarded Star Grants for innovative classroom projects and curriculum training. The foundation awarded nine grants totaling $20,929.21 for project involving educators at the Hudson School District, St. Patrick School and Trinity Academy.

Foundation Board President John Kromer, and other board members, presented the awards during ceremonies at Hudson High School December 5th. Kromer told recipients that the foundation and community are proud of the educators’ efforts to bring innovative ideas to the classrooms of local schools.

Grants

• Celebration of Nations submitted by teacher Samantha Thrane from River Crest Elementary School on behalf of the Hudson School District. The annual Celebration of Nations is a district-wide event offering displays, food and entertainment highlighting the many diverse cultures present in the district. The annual event is scheduled April 17, 2025 at the high school and is open to the public. The foundation awarded $3,000.
• Tech Ed equipment submitted by teacher Dan Weiland from Hudson High School. The grant will assist in acquiring additional new technology equipment, including multi-meters for testing circuits. The foundation awarded $2,236.
• Phonics Fun submitted by teacher Jenna Weiland on behalf of all six elementary schools in the Hudson School District. The grant is designed to engage elementary students in literacy through interactive games. The program is designed to improve student proficiency in phonics and reading. The foundation awarded $2,700.
• 4K/Early Childhood Augmentative Alternative Communication (AAC) submitted by teachers Amy Anderson, Karla Willaby and Sarah Cook from River Crest Elementary School on behalf of the Hudson School District. The program is designed to assist preschool children with developmental disabilities involving difficulties in communicating with family members, teachers and peers. The foundation awarded $1,652.
• Digital microscopes submitted by teacher Lisa Dumont at St. Patrick School. The grant was for the purchase of two Andonstar digital microscopes to be used by fourth grade students at the school. The foundation awarded $499.98.
• Let’s Play Learn submitted by teacher Heather Fey at St. Patrick School. The proposal aims to identify phonological awareness learning gaps in kindergarten and first grade students. The program is designed to increase spelling accuracy and writing. The foundation awarded $1,495.
• Sibling Support Group submitted by Amanda Fedor (counselor) and Dan Bell (principal) at St. Patrick School. The program is designed to form a support group for siblings of children with special needs. The foundation awarded $1,162.
• Digital Display for multipurpose space submitted by teacher Tammy Langness at Trinity Academy. The proposal involves the purchase of a large screen television and protective equipment in the school’s multipurpose gym space (gym, cafeteria, auditorium). The foundation awarded $3,184.23.
• Reading Intervention Materials/Resources submitted by teacher Melissa Gruenes at Trinity Academy. The grant will assist in obtaining necessary materials and resources to establish a reading intervention program at the school. The foundation awarded $5,000.

The foundation is funded by private donations, mostly coming from local and area businesses, individuals and foundations. Star Grants offer financial support for projects that would not typically be funded in the normal budgeting process. The foundation, founded in 1990, is a private organization established to strengthen community participation in all local schools and inspire both teachers and students. With these recent grants, the foundation has funded just over $2,120,000 in local education projects and awards since the organization’s inception.

In addition to Kromer, current foundation board members are Lynn Krueger, Dr. Ron Bernth, Jodell Krause, Doug Stohlberg, Heidi Gilbert, and Scott Snyder. Steven Keller is the organization’s volunteer executive director.

Learn more at: https://hudsonraiders.org/educationfoundation/

Congratulations to Hudson Staff and Students on the 2023-2024 School Report Card Results!

The Hudson School District received an “Exceeds Expectations” rating from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI) on the state School Report Card. The Hudson School District’s score places the District in the 90th percentile when compared to districts across the state.

As part of the state accountability system, DPI produces report cards for every public school and district in Wisconsin. In addition to our School District rating, all eight Hudson schools earned the “Meets Expectations, Exceeds Expectations, or Significantly Exceeds Expectations” rating.

Individual 2023-2024 School Report Cards can be viewed by clicking on the link below.

• EP Rock Elementary School
• Houlton Elementary School
• Hudson Prairie Elementary School
• North Hudson Elementary School
• River Crest Elementary School
• Willow River Elementary School
• Hudson Middle School
• Hudson High School
• Hudson School District

Each School Report Card Provides a Score in the Following Priority Area:

• Student Achievement: Measures the level of knowledge and skill among students in the District, compared to state and national standards. It includes language arts and mathematics.
• Student Growth: Describes how much student knowledge in language arts and mathematics changes from year to year.
• Target Group Outcomes: The Target Group represents students with the lowest scores in any given year. The following year, the same group of students’ scores are reviewed to see if their academic growth has increased at an accelerated rate. This provides important information to the School District to ensure students who have the greatest need for academic growth receive the support they need.
• On-Track and Postsecondary Readiness: Looks at high school graduation rates, attendance and the potential for students to succeed after graduation.

The School District continually reviews and revises its curriculum and instruction to ensure we address areas for student growth. Time is taken to understand where there are successes and build on those successes to improve academic achievement for all students.

The School Report Cards are just one tool of many the School District uses to assess student progress.

The Report Cards provide course and program participation information for grades 9-12 for public schools and districts. (The data for program participation at Hudson High School was reported incorrectly. Although this inaccuracy does not impact any of the scores, we are working with DPI to fix the data). 

Most of the data reported comes from statewide assessments: Forward exam in grades 4-8, Aspire in grades 9 and 10, and ACT in 11th grade.

We are proud of the students and staff that have worked hard to have all of our schools exceed or significantly exceed expectations.

Click on the following link to learn more about Wisconsin School Report Cards: https://dpi.wi.gov/accountability/report-cards