It’s up to Hudson voters whether to study upgrades of school district buildings

HUDSON – Voters will be asked in March whether they want more details about a plan to improve school buildings, perhaps including changing grades at two elementary schools and upgrading the gym at Alvirne High School. The idea of allowing voters to decide whether to spend roughly $250,000 on a feasibility study has the support of the Hudson School Board and town Budget Committee, but not selectmen. At the Board of Selectmen’s regular meeting last week, member Ted Luszey asked the board not to support the study with its one vote on the Budget Committee. “What I find strange ... is the Budget Committee tours all of the school buildings every year. And every year, the Budget Committee asks all of the principals and the superintendent, ‘Are there any major capital improvement that needs to be done?’” Luszey said. “These capital improvements weren’t brought up in the last five years.” In October, the co-chairs of the Hudson School District Facilities Assessment Committee, Elaine Brody and Bernard Manor, came before the School Board, asking to put a warrant article on the March 2013 ballot for voters to weigh in if they want the study.