The final state aid calculations are in for the 2024-2025 school year. This new calculation LOWERS the tax impact on the $5 million operational referendum question to just $1 per $100,000 equalized property valuation. That means – a $500,000 home will only see a $5 increase annually above the 2023-2024 mill rate.
Learn more about the November 5th Operational Referendum by clicking here.
October 6-12 is Wisconsin School Board Week. School board service carries a significant amount of responsibility, and Hudson has a fantastic group of dedicated leaders in our district.
“It takes strong schools to build a strong community, and these men and women devote countless hours to making sure our schools are helping every child learn at a higher level,”
Superintendent Nick Ouellette, PhD, said. “School board members give the citizens of Hudson a voice in education decision-making. Even though we make a special effort to show our appreciation in October, their contribution is a year-round commitment.”
Thank you to the Hudson school board for their hard work and leadership! The members serving our district and their years of service are as follows:
Jamie Johnson was elected to the Board of Education in April 2013.
His current term expires in April 2025.
Bob Baumann was elected to the Board of Education in April 2018.
His current term expires in April 2027.
Kate Garza was elected to the Board of Education in April 2021.
Her term expires in April 2027.
Molly Powers was elected to the Board of Education in April 2021.
Her term expires in April 2027.
Rob Brown was elected to the Board of Education in 2015.
His term expires in April 2025.
Lynn Robson was appointed to the Board of Education in December 2023.
She previously served on the Board of Education from 2008 until 2018.
Her term expires in April 2025.
Megan Rozowski was elected to the Board of Education in April 2023.
Her term expires in April 2026.
To learn more about the Hudson School Board and its members, click here.
Learn why the Hudson School District has an operational referendum question on the November 5th ballot by watching the video below.
Listen to our recent podcast with Dr. Ouellette
Why is an Operational Referendum necessary?
State policy limits how much school districts can spend. Most school district funding comes from a combination of state aid and local property taxes. From 1994 to 2009, school district revenue limits were adjusted for inflation. During this time, most school districts could keep up with ongoing needs. Since the 2010 state-imposed revenue cap was put in place, 80% of school districts in Wisconsin have turned to their community voters asking for a levy override in the form of an operational referendum.
More and more school districts have fallen behind without state aid increases to account for inflation. We have critically reviewed budget projections extending through 2028-2029. Based on assumptions that consider wage increases, health benefits, revenue limits, student enrollment, and special education aid, the School District will experience a budget deficit estimated at $7.5 million by 2028-2029.
In addition to state aid not keeping pace with inflation, student enrollment has declined over the past several years. Across the country, declining birth rates have contributed to the lower number of school-age children. At the same time, the Hudson community has seen a decrease in the number of families with school-age children moving into the area (in-migration). The School District has maintained a “capture rate” of over eighty percent. Capture rate refers to the number of school-age children who reside in the School District and attend Hudson Schools. This capture rate has remained stable for over twenty years.
Click here to learn more about the November 5th operational referendum
The School District is excited to begin construction projects at Hudson Middle School, North Hudson Elementary, and EP Rock Elementary Schools this fall. The community approved these capital projects in April 2023. The initial bids came in over budget. This past spring, the School District decided to rebid the projects. The spring bids provided a more favorable timeline, resulting in a savings of roughly four million dollars.
North Hudson Elementary held its groundbreaking ceremony on September 10th. During the next several months, construction will focus on the two-stage gymnasium and media center addition. Work will also begin on updating the building’s utility service. Remodeling of the classrooms and other interior spaces is scheduled to start in January.
Keeping students and staff safe throughout the construction process is a priority. Protective fencing has been installed outside, and temporary partition walls will close off access to classrooms while they are updated. The partitions will minimize noise, dust, and other disruptions, ensuring the learning environment has minimal impact. The project team is committed to maintaining safety and limiting interference with daily school activities as we progress with building improvements.
At Hudson Middle School, the construction focus has shifted to interior improvements. The media center has been updated with new furniture and shelving, providing students and staff with a more functional and inviting learning environment. The improvements also allow for individual study and collaborative learning with flexible seating.
Planning continues at EP Rock Elementary, with actual construction beginning in January.
All three projects will be completed by the fall of 2025.
Learn more about the construction projects by clicking here.
The Board of Education held their Annual Meeting on September 9, 2024.
Superintendent Dr. Ouellette addressed the community highlighting the state-of-the Hudson School District. Click here to view Dr. Ouellette’s presentation.
Chief Financial and Operations Officer Bonnie Stegmann presented the 2024-2025 budget for approval.
Dr. Nick Ouellette, Superintendent of the Hudson School District, was elected to a three-year term on the executive committee of AASA, the National School Superintendent Association.
Founded in 1865, AASA serves as the nation’s premier organization for public school district leadership, representing thousands of school system leaders throughout the United States.
The 22-member committee, elected by the AASA governing board, represents each region of the country. The committee meets quarterly and conducts the ongoing business of the organization.
“Having experience in a variety of district sizes and settings throughout my career provides me with a great understanding of the many challenges facing districts around our region,” said Dr. Ouellette. “Fostering deep relationships with public school leaders has provided me with a true understanding of what others are going through and increases my ability to offer support.”
Dr. Ouellette served as Wisconsin Association of School District Administrators (WASDA) President from 2022 to 2023, and has served on their Board of Directors since 2016. He has been a passionate AASA Governing Board member since 2018.
The countdown to back to school is here! Here’s what you need to know to start the 2024-2025 school year.
First Day of School
School Supply Lists
The Sharing Tree provides free school supplies and backpacks to families in the Hudson School District. Click here to learn more.
Meet the Teacher and Orientation Nights
Picture Day
School Breakfast & Lunch
Hudson School District Ranks in Top 10% of All Wisconsin K-12 Schools
The Hudson School District received good news on the Wisconsin School State Report Card and from the US News & World Report school rankings. The District attained the “Exceeds Expectations” rating from the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI). The District’s overall report card rating places Hudson in the top 10% of all K-12 districts in Wisconsin. Additionally, this is the highest school district rating in CESA 11 and in the Big Rivers athletic conference.
Hudson had the highest School Report Card score in comparison to neighboring school districts.
The Hudson School District also learned two Hudson elementary schools rank in the top 20 elementary schools in Wisconsin on the US News and World Report’s annual school ranking. Houlton Elementary School ranked 7th and North Hudson Elementary School ranked 20th. There are over 1,200 public elementary schools in the state.
Hudson High School ranked 44th out of 514 Wisconsin high schools. In a review of neighboring high school district rankings, Hudson is the only area high school ranked in the top fifty. Hudson also performed well in comparison to Minneapolis/St. Paul metropolitan area high schools with a #25 ranking.
The US News and World Report’s ranking is widely regarded as a benchmark for assessing the quality of education across the nation. The Hudson School District rankings are a testament to its continuous dedication to providing a high-quality learning environment for its students.
Key highlights contributing to the Hudson School District’s success include:
Superintendent Nick Ouellette expressed gratitude for the hard work and dedication of the District’s educators, staff, students, and the entire community. “Our School Report Card and the US News & World Report recognition is a result of the collective efforts of our exceptional staff, supportive families, and engaged students. We are very proud of this achievement and remain committed to providing the best education in the region and the state.”
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The State of Wisconsin’s Office of School Safety provides a 24/7 tip line for reporting potential harm or criminal activities directed at schools, students, and or staff. The Speak Up, Speak Out (SUSO) School Resource Center is set up to respond confidentially and quickly. The tip line is not just for threats to do harm to schools. Tips are also made regarding daily concerns students encounter such as bullying, drug use, self-harm, suicidal thoughts and more. The Hudson School District is part of the SUSO network.
Most tips fall into one of three categories:
We all play a vital role in creating safe schools and communities. Anyone can submit a tip. Tips are received by a trained resource center staff who pass appropriate information on to local law enforcement and schools. We want people who see something to say something. SUSO allows us as a school community to keep each other safe, address concerns about someone’s safety, and help get the support needed to resolve concerns.
We encourage student and families to contact their building administrator or SUSO of any threats to do harm to a school.
Among the educators and program partners earning grants from the Education Foundation of Hudson were, from left, Dan Bell (St. Patrick School principal), Amanda Fedor (St. Patrick School), Tracy Metz (Willow River Elementary School), Stephanie Chuckel (Willow River Elementary School), Traci Wolfe (River Crest Elementary School), and Samantha Thrane (River Crest Elementary School).
The Education Foundation of Hudson awarded Star Grants in November for innovative classroom projects and curriculum training. The grants totaled $12,622.77 for five projects involving several educators and touching many schools in Hudson.
Foundation Board President Lynn Krueger, and other board members, presented the awards during ceremonies at Hudson High School on November 30, 2023. Krueger told recipients that the foundation and community are proud of the educators’ efforts to bring innovative ideas to the classrooms of local schools.
Grant recipients are listed below.
The foundation, founded in 1990, is a private organization established to strengthen community participation in local schools and inspire both teachers and students. With November’s grants ($12, 622.77), the foundation has funded just over $2,100,00 in local education projects and awards since the organization’s inception.
In addition to Krueger, current Foundation board members are Dr. Ron Berth, Jodell Krause, Doug Stohlberg, Joan Thompson, John Kramer, Heidi Gilbert, and Scott Snyder. Thompson recently announced that she will be retiring from the board at the end of this year (2023). Steven Keller is the organization’s volunteer executive director.
Learn more about the Education Foundation at: https://hudsonraiders.org/educationfoundation/