What are the facility needs at Hudson High School?

While Hudson High School is a big point of pride in our community, the school building has a series of facility needs that we must address soon. These include the following:

 

• Aging Building Systems & Finishes: While the high school has been well maintained, the fact that it is 24 years old means that some systems and finishes have exceeded their service life. This includes windows, plumbing, lighting, flooring, cabinetry, and heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems. 

• Safety & Security: The safety of our students and staff are a top priority. The high school entrance needs to be redesigned to better welcome and monitor visitors. There is also a need to improve parking and traffic flow around the building.

• Support Space Needs: The high school’s library is not designed to meet students’ current learning needs, which means the space is underutilized. There is also a need for additional gym space to better serve students and the community.

• Enrollment Growth: Since 2016 the district has seen a steady increase in enrollment. Projections for the next five years indicate continued growth, as new housing developments are likely to bring additional families with school-age children to the district. As enrollment increases, additional classrooms and the expansion of educational support areas (e.g., cafeteria, gym) are needed.

 

By acting now, we believe we can address these needs that will ensure we continue to provide excellent learning environments for students now and in the years to come.  

 

What is the proposed solution to address these needs?

The Board of Education has placed a bond issue question on the ballot for September 13, 2022. If the question receives at least 60 percent approval, the district will move forward with the following facility projects at Hudson High School:

 

• Update building systems and aging infrastructure, including the replacement of an HVAC system that is no longer cost- effective to maintain

• Convert underutilized space into innovative classrooms

• Create a secure main entrance to improve safety

• Rebuild the career and technical education labs (shop)

• Add needed gym space 

 

How has the community been engaged on these issues?

Over the past several months, our Hudson CSD Community Task Force has been engaged in a comprehensive facility planning process. A community-wide survey that was open in April and May 2022 provided the district and task force with valuable input and feedback as they examined facility needs and explored potential solutions. 

 

At its June 14 meeting, the Board of Education received a petition from the community, asking the board to place a bond issue question to address the high school facility needs. The board then voted to approve a question for the ballot on September 13, 2022.

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Are the high school's needs related to open enrollment?

No. Our high school would have facility needs, even if we had fewer or no open-enrolled students. All of the projects the task force recommended would need to be addressed, no matter our total enrollment.

 

This is a fair question. Some community members may be concerned that Hudson's property taxpayers will be paying for a project that would benefit some students who do not live in the district. For context, in the 2021-22 school year, approximately 18% of our students were open enrolled, while 82% were resident students.

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Imagine an airplane. It doesn’t matter if the plane is completely full or half full—it still needs to be in a condition in which it can get from point A to point B. The same is true for our schools. They need to be in a condition conducive to student learning, no matter how many students are in each classroom.

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Will community members get to vote on the proposed solution to the high school facilities needs?

Yes. The Hudson Board of Education has approved a bond issue question that will appear on the ballot Tuesday, September 13, 2022. 

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