During the public input portion of the most recent Hudson School Board meeting, resident Craig Powers once again questioned when the strategic plan would be completed. “Will it be Board policy to start the FY26 school year without an approved Strategic plan and without agreed-upon Administration goals?” he asked during the meeting. “The reason I’m like a broken record with regard to the Strategic plan is because in high performing organizations there is always a direct linkage between near term goals and commitments and the Strategic Plan, as well as to the budget.”
During a previous meeting Powers asked about the status of the strategic plan. School Board Chair Maureen Dionne explained that they have provided updates from the committee level and that they plan to continue to work on it throughout the summer and will be finalizing it. She said they are committed to having it done during the school year. But during the most recent meeting, Powers questioned how they will be able to go through the budget process without it. “How do we know if the Administration’s goals for FY26 are adequate if we don’t know how they fit into the “bigger picture” because there is no bigger picture?” he asked. “Last year we didn’t have a strategic plan in place, and the Superintendent’s goals weren’t approved until Thanksgiving – similar to the year before. Does the Board believe this is how high-performing organizations operate?”
Powers also noted that they have had no meeting for over 18 months to create the new strategic plan, which he said is a “length of time unheard of for a $70 million business outside of government education – and at the last School Board meeting we were told that the Board would not commit to a completion date, but that it was “months away.“
“Currently, there are no future meetings for the Strategic Planning Committee posted on the website,” he said. Also again questioned whether or not they would be changing its policy regarding public input.
Powers said previously he was looking to have it changed from being able to make public comment on agenda items to “an individual may offer public comment on any agenda items or any district matters.”
“Does the Board intend to update Policy BEDH, which covers the rules for public input in order to align to the recommendations of the NH School Board Association – and which just about every other School Board in NH has adopted? If so, when can we expect to see a first read?” Powers said. “I see that the next two committee meetings are cancelled.”
The next School Board meeting is set for Aug. 4 beginning at 6:30 p.m.
