The Hudson Board of Selectmen received an overview of the School District’s annual payment schedule at its most recent meeting, including updated calculations prepared by the district’s new Business Administrator.
“As you know, each year the Hudson School District submits a tax assessment payment schedule listing the amounts that the Town is to process the payments to them from,” Hudson Finance Director Laurie May wrote in a memo to the Board.
May explained that this year’s submission includes a new level of detail.
“The new Business Administrator for the SAU, Jenny Graves, has started a new practice to supply the payment calculation too,” May said. “SAU 81 Superintendent Dan Moulis, SAU 81 Finance Director Melissa Van Sickle, Town Administrator Roy Sorenson and I have all reviewed the document and agree with the calculation.”
Town Administrator Roy Sorenson told the Board that while the item was informational, he wanted members to clearly understand how the payment process works.
“This is just informational,” Sorenson said. “I did meet with Superintendent Moulis as well, and obviously as we transferred some money last year, just to make sure the Board understands what we do every year, we develop whatever we believe the payment would be to the schools.”
The current monthly distribution amount is $4,772,992.82.
“This changes once we declare the tax rate, so the payments will change a little bit after the new year,” Sorenson said.
He emphasized that the Town collects taxes and then transfers nearly $5 million each month to the School District to support its operations.
“So, we collect the taxes for the schools. We give it to the schools so they can operate,” he said.
Selectman Heidi Jakoby noted that the School District’s willingness to follow a structured payment schedule is beneficial for both sides.
“I just want the public to be really clear,” Jakoby said. “We collect the taxes, but we have to then move the money over to the school in a sequential way, and the school agrees to this sequence and this timing. And that’s a blessing because they can ask for it at any time.”
She added that the District could technically request its full funding in a lump sum.
“They can ask for it in one lump sum, but the town and the school board and the school district work really hard to make sure that it can happen on this schedule, so that they’re able to pay their bills and we’re able to pay ours,” Jakoby said. “I just want to point that out because I think the taxpayers need to be aware.”
The next Selectmen meeting is scheduled for Aug. 25 at 7 p.m.