2024 - What about?...
What about...after high school for students thinking about tech school?
I imagine that we've all heard about the need for young people to go into the trades and technical school. This can mean anything from HVAC (Heating Ventilation Air Conditioning) to CNA (Certified Nursing Assistant) to ASE (Automotive Service Excellence). I am proud to say that Hudson School District leads the way in encouraging students to pursue technical careers. (See https://hudsonraiders.org/schools/hudson-high-school/support/academic-career-planning/school-to-career/)
First of all, we have amazing leadership from our School to Career Coordinator and the professional teaching staff at the high school. In the 2022-2023 school year, our high school saw a huge increase in participation in our technical programs.
Furthermore, some students have dual enrollment in classes at the high school that gives them tech college credit. In 2023-2024 school year, 307 students participated in dual enrollment courses. That's compared to 136 in 2020-2021 (*see district website, 10/8923 School Board Agenda
*https://docs.google.com/document/d/1greGta4ngVFDJy2WSTjlGhXF0WoP48odIFHt8TcHNhQ/edit).
Another exciting course that students can take part in is Student Based Enterprise. It's a 2 year course where students participate in the entire course of production and manufacturing so they can learn the skills need to run their own business.
Did you know that we also have a growing ag ed and FFA program? Ag careers are very much in demand and we are meeting that change. We have had animal and plant science courses for many years but have also added Intro courses and a Senior capstone. There are over 300 students at HHS participating in these classes this year! (see https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/e/2PACX-1vQ6dMAyNvovUrtapYISHXTjhqIdmy0ntZbx-on9u4chzX2AE4yUqhXHZbJf4w8WZPETF7UrxKSVLteH/pub?start=false&loop=false&delayms=3000&slide=id.g285e864bbec_0_2)
I'm proud to say that Hudson School District listens to the needs of employers and watches the marketplace in order to prepare students for careers after high school.
What about....school start times?
School start times were a hot topic in 2021 when I first ran for the school board. You might ask yourself, what happened with that?
A committee and administration worked together to find out what were the optimal start times for students. Research says that high school students are typically not well rested and actually need more sleep than younger children. The committee and administration researched the best school start times for students, created a number of options and presented that information to the school board. The school board discussed the topic at length. The board then surveyed the school community to gauge their interest and preferences in changing school start times. The survey data essentially said that having a later start time for older students came at the expense of perceived safety and family schedules for younger children. It also had the potential to negatively impact after school activities. The start time that was considered best (having all kids bussed at the same time) also came at a financial cost of about $3 million additional dollars per year. Thus, the move to change start times ended at that point. I agree that the financial cost was too great a burden. However, I remain committed to the idea that we need to encourage good sleep habits as part of good health for students and that our schools should play a role in making that happen.