Chamber Urges Yes Vote for Hudson School Building Project

Good schools are good for business. They produce a quality work force, make a community attractive to new businesses, and enhance real estate values when it comes time to sell.

So it is little surprise that the Columbia County Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors is taking an active role to support the upcoming $36.6 million bond referendum for the Hudson City School District.

“The vote was unanimous,” says Chamber President David Colby. “The board thinks this is a good first step towards achieving excellence in the schools. You can't attract and retain good teachers if the bricks are falling down.”

The project addresses some critical education and infrastructure needs in the 2,400-student Hudson School District. Currently, those students are divided among four schools: John L. Edwards (JLE) Elementary on State Street, kindergarten through grade 2; Greenport Elementary on Union Turnpike (Route 66), grades 3 and 4; the Howard C. Smith Middle School on Harry Howard Avenue, grades 5 though 8; and the High School on Harry Howard Avenue, grades 9 through 12.

Under the proposal, JLE gets a small addition so it can house all 75 pre-kindergarteners, now scattered among four sites. It addresses space needs so the remedial program, for example, can move out of the boiler room currently used. JLE houses pre-K through grade 2 under the proposal.

The aging Greenport School, in poor condition now, would be shuttered. The district eventually could sell or lease it.

The Middle School would be reconfigured to house only elementary students, grades 3 to 6. They do not need as much extra classroom space, since they do not have separate science and other specialty classes.

Then, on the high school campus, an addition would be built for grades 7 and 8. The only shared space with the high school will be the auditorium. The design of the addition addresses concerns some parents have about wanting to segregate the younger students from the older high school students.

“Ichabod Crane does this and it works fine,” points out Peter Rost, Hudson School Board member and head of the Facilities Committee. It also has major program advantages, since it would allow struggling ninth graders to get extra help from the eighth grade staff. Conversely, seventh graders who are far advanced could take high school classes. Then, when they are juniors and seniors, they could take courses at the community college, earning college credits and saving on future college tuition expenses.

The realignment of grades also makes for greater efficiencies in teaching assignments, since it matches the state Education Department's teacher certification, which classifies seventh and eighth grade as secondary, K through sixth as elementary. In addition, it provides for a greater use of technology to enhance student learning and increases the continuity of instruction.

The reconfiguration also speaks to one of the criticisms of the Hudson District by state Education: the difficulty for students in dealing with transitions among four schools. In the future, they would only have three schools.

Driving the timing of the project is a small window of increased state aid. The project is eligible for a whopping 96.8% state building aid. Added to this is $400,000 in the district's Capital Reserve Fund and $1.6 million in new state funding under the EXCEL (Expanding Children's Educational Learning) program.

The bottom line for the average local taxpayer: $10 a year for 20 years.

The calculation is based on the average true value home in the district: $149,600. In all, 63% of district residences qualify for the standard STAR exemption, so they would pay no more than $10 a year additional for this project. For the 27% of district residences that qualify for Senior STAR, the annual increase will be less than $8. And for the 10% that do not qualify for STAR, the annual increase will be about $12.

That tiny increase leverages a $36.5 million project that will make an important difference in the education the Hudson District can deliver its students.

“Supporting this project goes along with the Chamber's push for stronger communities,” says Chamber Chairman John Maiuri. “Appropriate facilities for development of our young people are critical. And the Chamber board felt the Hudson school board exercised good judgment in putting together this project, when considering their options.”

If voters approve the bond, the work will be accomplished by the 2009 school year, and without having to disrupt the current classroom learning during construction.

When doing the math for taxpayers, the district has not taken into account operating savings that could be realized as well as income from selling or leasing Greenport. So taxpayers may see an even smaller actual increase than the projected $10/year.

“The quality of a community's labor force is directly linked to the quality of its schools,” points out Joe McGee, Vice President, Public Policy & Programs, Business Council of Fairfield (CT) County. Mr. McGee spoke at the Chamber's School Superintendents' Breakfast in August about the critical connection between local schools and local businesses. “Business needs educated, productive employees to compete successfully. Investment in schools that increases student performance enhances the community's ability to attract and create jobs,” he said, commenting on the upcoming bond referendum.

Voters go to the polls Wednesday, February 14, from noon to 9 p.m. Before that vote are several public information sessions, including one sponsored by the Chamber, a breakfast meeting at Greenport Elementary School on February 9th.

The Columbia County Chamber of Commerce hosts an information breakfast about the $36.6 million Hudson City School District building referendum. Registration for the breakfast is at 7:45 a.m. Friday, February 9th at Greenport Elementary School , Union Turnpike (Route 66). The session runs from 8 to 9 a.m. with a question-and-answer session after the presentation. One need not be a Chamber member to attend. Cost is $7 with all profits going to the Hudson City School District 's booster club.

This article will appear in the Business section of the Register Star on Thursday, February 8.