At its final December meeting, the Hudson Budget Committee wrapped up 2025 with a closer look at the SAU81 budget, focusing on several outstanding questions related to legal expenses and transportation services for special needs and homeless students.
“There’s some other documents just from the law firm Soule, Leslie, Kidder,” explained Superintendent Dr. Daniel Moulis. “The other law firm that we use is Wadleigh, Starr & Peters for special education.”
Earlier in the month, the Committee requested additional information on legal spending after expressing uncertainty about how certain items were categorized and how they might affect the tax rate.
“In the budget you presented, are both the totals of these two law firms represented?” asked Committee Chair James Lawrence.
Moulis said the two figures were listed separately in the budget, noting that the district typically spends between $25,000 and $30,000 on legal costs related to special education.
“Some other special education information that the Budget Committee had asked for, including the special aid formula, I received that along with legal requirements for the consideration of out of district placement,” he added.
Committee member Kevin Cole and ViceChair Kim Rice also sought confirmation that transportation funds were being used appropriately, particularly for services tied to special education and the McKinneyVento Act, which supports homeless students.
“To the best of my knowledge, I do know we’re not using taxi services,” said Moulis, who explained that SAU81 contracts with two bus companies to handle even nontraditional transportation needs. “Besides our two transportation providers, these are the only transportation providers I know of based on the information I have we’re providing based on homeless students from McKinneyVento.”
“As long as we’re not giving money to taxi stands in Nashua and vacant buildings in Manchester, I’m more than happy,” said Cole. “Since there seems to be an interest, perhaps we can get a little more detail on what the requirements are for a homeless student.”
Moulis outlined the criteria, noting that there are “multiple requirements,” including the absence of fixed housing.
“There’s also the category of ‘doubled up.’ If it’s due to a loss of housing, or economic hardship, or a similar reason, then that would also fit into the category based on the McKinneyVento Act,” he said. “The third category is hotels, motels, trailers, campgrounds, and the category there would be more towards lack of alternative accommodations than it would fit the homeless McKinneyVento category.”
Cole added that transportation obligations can extend beyond Hudson’s borders.
“If a homeless student going to school in Hudson relocates to another area, let’s say Chelmsford, and they want to stay in the school system here, we are still responsible for the transportation of that student,” said Cole.
“The whole point of the federal law, as I understand it, is to ‘unstigmatize,’ if you will, homelessness for any boys and any girls out there that want to go and get an education, and the requirements are very stringent.”
Currently, around 30 Hudson students qualify under McKinneyVento. Due to the small number, privacy concerns make it impractical to determine how many – if any – are being transported from outside the district.