The Hudson Budget Committee met on Dec. 4 with an in-depth look at the proposed school district budget of $69,577,219 for the 2025-26 fiscal year.
Superintendent of Hudson Schools, Dr. Daniel Moulis went over key budgetary items.
“As part of the Executive Summary, there’s the School Board’s direction, Superintendent’s direction, enrollment numbers, budget drivers, warrant articles, default budget, and grant funds,” he outlined. “As part of the direction from the School Board, we are looking at a comprehensive budget to support our goals and priorities as part of our strategic plan, looking at the skills and competencies that support students in the areas for student’s needs and the area of college and career readiness.”
Enrollment was a perennial concern for town officials.
“We are seeing here that projecting through 2025-2026 through fifth grade, we may be seeing some growth,” said Committee member Shawn Jasper. “But we really haven’t seen that previously. Is there a new trend here?”
It was unclear why the new projection was different. Moulis promised to send all enrollment forecasts from the past five years to the Budget Committee.
He also outlined the importance of academic intervention and a clear curriculum as central goals for SAU 81. Infrastructure and capital improvement projects will be included in warrant articles, except for a $130,000 window replacement project at Hudson Memorial, which is in the FY 2026 budget. The numbers include an attempt to maintain staffing levels if possible. Several separate warrant articles were still being finalized.
Security, both physical and technological, was also a growing concern for the Superintendent.
“We did have a cybersecurity incident that happened at the end of June and July,” said Moulis. “As part of this budget, we are looking to continue to improve and update our security systems as part of the network.”
Committee member Bob Wherry noted that SAFE Grant funding had been specifically allocated for security and safety features “attributed to the infrastructure of the schools.” Recent security-focused infrastructure features included increased surveillance of Alvirne High School.
The proposed approved budget for the upcoming fiscal year is $69,577,219. The default budget is $69,415,543. Neither amount included the warrant articles.
As usual, there was a focus on using state and federal funds, when possible, with a focus on how to fill the gap left by sunsetting funds such as the Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) Fund. Several staff positions are partially or completely totally covered by ongoing grants.
“On these grants, how much is each one?” asked Committee member Randy Brownrigg after reading through the numbers. “Like the Title IV technology, how much is that grant that we receive?”
Morris stated the Title IV grant was $69,932.57 this year, lower compared to the last two years. Many grants expire after five years, and the amount paid out in a given year can vary.
“So, you have 31 staff in grants for FY 2025. Do you know what that’s going to be in FY 2026? What’s the number?” asked Committee member Rich Weissgarber. “When the grant funding stops, do you carry the person over onto an existing vacant space?”
There was no exact number, although school officials expected it to possibly decrease slightly with a projected decline in Title Grant money. Several positions funded using ESSER had been moved to the district’s operating budget. Other positions, like most social-emotional learning coaches, were phased out when federal funding.
The next meeting of the Hudson Budget Committee is scheduled for Thursday, Dec. 19, at 7 p.m. in the Buxton Meeting Room.
