By Noell Wolfgram Evans

The Hudson Board of Education met in the Gerald M. Reeves Media Center at Hudson High School on Dec. 8, 2025. The meeting marked the last for outgoing members President Steve DiMauro and Vice President Alisa Wright.

In attendance were DiMauro, Wright, member Mark Dzurec, member Laura Jones and member Tom Tobin. Also in attendance were Hudson City Schools Superintendent Dana Addis, Treasurer Phillip Butto, Manager of Communications & Alumni Outreach Jennifer Reece, Communications Specialist Angelina Hake, 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 to lead the Pledge of Allegiance. Following the pledge, the roll was called and several high school students rose to provide a report from students. A senior shared that the school would be electing a new board in January and thanked those who have been serving for the past year. A junior shared that this year’s Holiday Sharing count was over 1,600 items, which was 500 more than last year. Another junior announced that winter spirit week is kicking off. He also solicited volunteers and donors for the blood drive scheduled for Jan. 21. Finally, another student thanked DiMauro and Wright as their terms come to a close. 

That was supposed to segue into a video offering commendations to the two board members taking part in their final meeting. Technical difficulties delayed playing that until later in the evening.

DiMauro then invited any members of the public who wished to do so to step up and address the board. Beverly Dorson, who said she was a member of the League of Women Voters, took time to “read a letter into the public record.” 

“We are continually impressed by DiMauro and Wright,” Dorson read as the letter thanked them for their service and the way in which they ran their meetings.

David Zuro, a former member of the school board, next rose to congratulate DiMauro and Wright for their service. 

“The most effective quality a school board member can have is that your heart is in the right place, and you exemplify that,” Zuro said.

The only other member of the public to speak was Kathy Lowman. She read through a list of what she will remember most about the departing board members. Among the items she cited were concerns she had about their treatment of mask policies, DEI, “porn” in the library, censorship, enrollment, an Employee of the Year award and the amount district residents pay in taxes to the schools.

The next item on the agenda was the needed approval of two invoices for BSN Sports totalling $12,659.46. Board approval was needed for the payment of these because the invoices predated an approved purchase order. Approval was unanimously given.

Butto did not have a financial report to offer, so the board moved forward with the approval of several items, including the November 2025 financial report, the meeting minutes from the Nov. 10, 2025, board meeting and an updated Five Year Forecast. There had been a minor revision to the forecast based on final numbers from the district’s healthcare enrollment plan. These items were approved unanimously.

The board also approved a resolution to authorize the treasurer to automatically make wage adjustments to match increases in the minimum wage of the state.

Several grants equalling $7,217 were unanimously accepted, as well. These provided funds for boys and girls soccer, the Denise Lukingbeal Outdoor Classroom Pavilion at Ellsworth Hill and for Hudson High School Guidance Explorer Popcorn.

Unanimous approval was also granted for a resolution to advance 2025 tax payments into the 2026 fiscal year.

The board next discussed whether to continue its membership in the Ohio Coalition for Equity and Adequacy of School Funding and EdChoice Voucher Litigation for the amount of $8,922.

“I believe that using public funds for private schools is unconstitutional and that’s why I will be supporting this,” Wright said.

Butto told the board that the amount the state recently allocated to the voucher program is bigger than the amount that was given to public schools.

“We have a moral and legal obligation to support every child we serve and we try and do that in Hudson,” DiMauro said. “People can get a high quality education in Hudson. People who choose to send their child elsewhere make that choice.”

After the discussion, the board voted unanimously to approve the membership.

Members also took up an addendum to the original agenda, which was a resolution that passed without comment to authorize the superintendent to enter into a contract with the James B Oswald Group for consulting at a cost of under $12 an employee.

Addis next provided the Superintendent's Report. He reminded everyone that it’s holiday concert season and urged those in attendance to look to the district website to find the concert schedules. He also complimented the Our Time to Shine program, which put together a “wonderful” performance of The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Addis also thanked staff for helping to facilitate a matinee of the fall play, which enabled 125 senior citizens to come to the school to see the show. Winter break will be from Dec. 19 through Jan. 2 and, shortly after, on Jan. 21, sophomores and their parents will have an opportunity to take part in the Six District Compact Career Program Showcase.

The board next took up personnel issues, which included accepting the retirements of Marybeth Boylan and Deanna Quinn. Boylan has been with the district for 24 years in nutrition services and Quinn has been teaching for 26 years. The board also approved, without comment, the hiring of certified and support personal, extracurricular staff and the acknowledgement of some volunteers.

The high school will be seeing the addition next year of a Pokémon Club and two new classes: AP Business & Personal Finance and AP Cybersecurity. Tobin asked if these new classes would be replacing any existing classes. Terella said that no classes will be leaving. 

“We were able to creatively adjust the current schedule so our existing teachers could fit these in,” she said.

Approval was also given for the High School Curriculum Guide for the 2026-2027 school year. And the middle school was given approval to send students to compete in the Science Olympiad in Columbus next April.

The board also had to elect a President Pro Tempore for the period of Jan. 1, 2026, to the board's organizational meeting on Jan. 12. Dzurec nominated Jones, who was voted in unanimously.

Addis took a moment at the end of the meeting to announce the passing of a “Hudson Hall of Famer” Joe Siegferth. 

DiMauro then took one last opportunity to thank everyone for their kind words. 

“I am honored and grateful,” he said. “It’s always been about the people.” 

Wright also spoke and said “this time has meant the world to me.”

Shortly after 8 p.m., the meeting concluded with a strong round of applause.