Hudson school voters in no mood to spend money, defeat contracts, budget

HUDSON – Voters weren’t kind to school spending as all six articles on the warrant went down in defeat. Meanwhile, one incumbent kept her seat on the school board, while the other finished the last of four, with two seats open. The $47.7 million school operating budget went down by 227 votes, 1,700 to 1,473 – the closest defeat of all the school warrant articles. The teacher’s contract, with a price tag of $460,695 for 2013-14, was defeated with 1,826 no votes to 1,359 yes votes. A proposed contract for paraprofessionals, which would have cost $37,488 next school year, was defeated 1,837 to 1,313. Likewise, voters defeated a proposal to add $150,000 to the health insurance trust fund, 1,745 to 1,408; a proposal to appropriate $250,000 for a study of school district facilities, 2,433 to 720; and a proposal to create a school district contingency fund from surplus and not to exceed 2.5 percent of the town’s net assessment, 2,157 to 981. In the school board election, incumbent Patty Langlais retained her seat, receiving 1,283 votes. Newcomer Michael Truesdell will join her on the board with 1,139 votes. Defeated were Laurie Jasper with 1,044 votes, Lynn Morin with 929 and incumbent Lars Christiansen with 826. A smiling Truesdell received congratulations at the Community Center as he stood with family members.