Noell Wolfgram Evans

The Hudson Board of Education met in the Gerald M. Reeves Media Center at Hudson High School on Sept. 8, 2025.

In attendance were Hudson City Schools Board of Education President Steve DiMauro, Vice President Alisa Wright, member Mark Dzurec, member Laura Jones and member Tom Tobin. Also in attendance were Hudson City Schools Superintendent Dana Addis, Treasurer Phillip Butto, Communications Manager Jennifer Reece, Director of Human Resources Lisa Hunt, Assistant Superintendent Angela Terella, Director of Operations Tom Barone and Director of Pupil Services Kelly Kempf. 

DiMauro called the meeting to order at 7 p.m. and then invited four elementary students – Wyatt, Nathan, Aria and Astrid – to lead those in attendance in the Pledge of Allegiance. Following a spirited rendition of the pledge, the roll was called and the meeting kicked off with a student report.

Some high school students talked about the start of spirit week. Although the events of the week had just started, the senior class found themselves in last place. The week will culminate in the Homecoming game on Friday where a senior king and queen will be crowned. The following night, the Homecoming dance will take place.

Addis and Reece were then given a moment to provide Clark Rumiser with a gift basket on the occasion of his retirement. Rumiser is retiring at age 95 with 56 years of service to the district, many of those as a crossing guard. Addis said Rumiser “became a legend without even trying.” DiMauro thanked Rumiser on behalf of the full board and asked that a group photo be taken to “commemorate the moment and celebrate the example he set.”

After the picture, Addis announced that the school district is working with the city to rename the crosswalk after Rumiser.

Addis and Barone next spoke on the $5.5 million Harmony Performing Arts Project. After an extensive search process, the project team is recommending that the board approve Millstone Management Group as the construction manager at risk for the project. Barone said that the team felt that Millstone’s experience and guaranteed maximum price cap were both what the project needed. The timeline for Phase 1 – the construction of a 5,000 square-foot orchestra room – is currently being worked out. The team wants to set a start date that will allow for a continuous work plan. The plan is being formulated around the winter months, with the understanding that some of it will need to happen when school is in session.

With Phase 1, which is fully funded, in the planning stages, attention will next turn to Phase 2. This will include the renovation of the auditorium, band room and choir room. Addis stated that this phase of the project will be privately funded. 

The meeting then moved to public comments. 

The first to speak was Cynthia Curtin, a newly appointed judge. She introduced herself and spoke of her Hudson ties. “I think,” she said, “we need more education for our young people around the long-term consequences of committing a crime.” She offered to make herself available, at no cost, to middle and high school students to speak on this and other legal topics.

Todd Bonneville, a father of three Hudson kids, then took a moment at the microphone. He thanked the teachers and the board for their educational support. The bulk of his time was spent defending a teacher who he believed had been maligned at a previous board meeting. After a passionate speech, he returned to his seat to applause.

Sean Carmichael, a Hudson teacher, spoke next. He said statements he made in April had been used against him at the Aug. 25 board meeting and that they were taken out of context. “I stand behind my statements,” he proclaimed. He spoke of the importance of honesty and facts and said “dishonesty and disorientation is always dangerous.” He too received a hearty round of applause when his time expired.

Next Butto put forth a consent agenda item asking for the approval of eight individual invoices. He said that this was a necessary step when the timing of the PO and purchase order did not line up. The approval of these expenses was granted unanimously.

Butto then announced that the district has received three financial gifts recently: a $2,400 grant from the HPSEF Memorial & Tribute Fund through the Akron Community Foundation for the HCSD Community Cookbook; a $500 matching gift contribution from Nicholas Marsh through the Sentry Insurance Foundation for Drama Club; and $5,000 from Lake Business Products for Portrait of an Explorer T-Shirts. Tobin made special mention of the $500 gift as it came through an employer’s matching gift program. He hoped that this might spark others to see if their employers have similar opportunities. A vote was taken and the gifts were accepted by unanimous consent.

It was then time for the superintendent’s report. Addis put forth a revised calendar for the 2026-2027 school year. The change was the addition of a professional development day on Aug. 17 with school to start Aug. 18. Wright asked if there had been any thoughts or discussion on starting the year “early.” After a brief discussion as to how the August dates were selected, it was decided to see if there was any public comment on the new calendar.

Addis also announced that there will be an alumni tailgate for Homecoming on Sept. 12 and that the Portrait of an Explorer program will kick off its fourth year on Sept. 16. He then read a proclamation announcing the retirement of Randy Petron, who has been a janitor in service for 18 years. 

Following a brief statement by Hunt on Petron’s service and that of his wife who worked in the district previously, Addis asked the board to approve the hiring of a number of certified, support and supplemental personnel. All groups were approved in a unanimous vote.

The next item on the agenda was the approval of a resolution regarding staff compensation. DiMauro stated that this is something the board has done every year since 2013. The resolution says, in part, “in response to market trends, the salary structures should be reviewed annually and updated as appropriate.” A motion was made to approve the resolution and it passed.

Resolutions related to non-staff compensation and to the OAPSE-negotiated agreement were also passed by unanimous consent. Addis thanked the negotiation team for getting the agreement together, while DiMauro made special mention of the contributions made by OAPSE. 

Seven extracurricular travel trips were put forth before the board. Students will be going to Quebec, NYC, Peninsula, Hiram and Put-in-Bay. The trips were approved without question.

Barone then asked for the board's approval of the contract with Millstone Management Group, which he had discussed earlier in the meeting. With no additional comments or questions, the contract was approved.

Each school year the board must approve a resolution declaring transportation as impractical for some students. There are six stated reasons in the resolution why this might be designated. The resolution was passed. At the end of the school year, the families of those students who qualify will receive payment to compensate for their transportation costs.

There was no unfinished business. DiMauro reminded everyone of the next two board meetings: Sept. 29 and Oct. 13. Jones offered a reminder that she is seeking a fund comparison for the drama department and the athletic department. She also relayed a question from a fourth grader regarding the Eastwood Snack Cart. The student wants to know if more healthy options can be added. Jones asked if a follow up discussion on lunch item availability could be included in a future meeting.

With that, the meeting was adjourned at 8:04 p.m.