Remember to Vote This Week

On Tuesday, May 15, voters in the Hudson City School District are asked to vote on the HCSD budget for the school year 2018-2019 and for members of the HCSD Board of Education. 

The proposed budget for 2018-2019 is $48.7 million--$2.2 million or 4.73 percent more than the current year and more than four times the annual budget of the City of Hudson ($11,165,715). Numbers for the current school population are not readily available, but back in 2014-2015, there were just 1,760 students in the district. Since HCSD is closing a school and "right-sizing" into just two campuses, it has to be assumed that the number of students served has not increased. That means the proposed budget works out to about $27,670 per student.

For the Board of Education, there are two candidates--Willette Jones and Lucinda Segar--running for two available seats. Both are already serving on the school board. Jones was elected to fill out a term in May 2016; Segar was appointed in December 2017 to fill a vacancy.

One may well wonder what's the point of voting in the school district election. There's no competition for school board seats, and, as some may remember, back in 2011 when voters soundly rejected the proposed budget, then a mere $41 million, the outcome of the vote doesn't seem to make a whole lot of difference. 

For more information about the proposed budget, click here. For an annoying little video meant to explain how the HCSD budget can increase 4.73 percent when there's supposed to be a 2 percent property tax cap in the State of New York, click here. The following is a screen capture from that video.

The polls are open from noon to 9 p.m. The polling place for us Hudsonians is John L. Edwards Primary School. Gossips urges everyone to vote if only because it will be the last time you'll be able to vote in a school district election at John L. Edwards.
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