Town Meetings

February 12. 2013 10:58AM

Six warrant items moved to the March ballot at Hudson school deliberative session

By April Guilmet
Union Leader Correspondent

HUDSON - All six of the Hudson school district’s proposed warrant articles were moved to the March ballot without amendment during Monday night’s school deliberative session, district Business Administrator Karen Burnell said.

Approximately 80 voters attended Monday night’s meeting, which had initially been scheduled for Saturday morning but was postponed due to Blizzard Nemo.

Article 1, the proposed $47,731,629 operating budget comes in just over $500,000 more than the default budget.

Also moved forward was a collective bargaining agreement between the district’s teacher’s union and the Hudson School Board.

If passed by voters next month the new contract would cost $460,595 next year and peak at $502,532 in the following year to reflect salary increases and employee benefits.

Hudson voters will also decide on a new contract for the district’s support staff. If passed, the new contract would cost $37,488 next year and peak at $52,164 in the following year.

Other items include Article 4, a $150,000 addition to the district’s existing expendable trust fund for employee health benefits (with funds coming from the last year’s balance resulting in no tax impact next year); Article 5, a $250,000 feasibility study to determine future facility needs in Hudson; and Article 6, which would allow school officials to create a district contingency fund using unassigned general funds remaining in the coffers at year’s end.

The contingency fund would be available for use in the event of emergency expenditures that arise during the coming year.

Voting on all warrant items will take place on Tuesday, March 12 from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. at the Hudson Community Center.

AGuilmet@newstote.com