‘25 and ‘26 start dates moved back following stakeholder feedback

by Judy Stringer

July 22 school board meeting

The Hudson City School Board approved two upcoming school-year calendars after August start dates from draft versions of the 2025-2026 and 2026-2027 calendars were pushed back five days to accommodate concerns from staff, parents and students that school was “starting too early,” according to then Assistant Superintendent Doreen Osmun, who retired on July 31.

In accordance with the new calendars, the first day of school will be Monday, Aug. 18 (rather than Wednesday, Aug. 13, as previously proposed) in 2025 and Monday, Aug. 17 (rather than Wednesday, Aug. 12) in 2026.

Despite the changes, Osmun told the board, the first semester will still end by winter break and the school year will conclude before Memorial Day, which satisfies other popular stakeholder requests. The final day of the 2025-2026 school year is Friday, May 29, 2026. The last day of the 2026-2027 school year is Thursday, May 27, 2027.

Osmun said the district received more than 300 responses to an online survey about the calendars.

“One of the most common themes was starting school [near] Aug. 12 was too early,” she said, “so we were able to look at the calendar, meet our contractual requirements, meet our board of education requirements and take into effect the feedback of our parents [and] our teachers. … I know three days or four days doesn’t seem like a lot, but I think for families that it is a lot.”

Osmun added that the approved calendars are posted on the district’s website.

Board President Steven DiMauro noted the revisions are “not a dramatic change” from recent start dates.

The board also approved student handbooks for the upcoming school year, along with an athletic handbook and an athletic code of conduct.

Osmun explained that the district administrative guidelines reference a “code of conduct” for athletes, although the district had never officially adopted such a document. Staff developed the code, she said, in collaboration with board members Alisa Wright and Tom Tobin and by looking at athletic codes from other “high performing” districts and the Suburban League athletic conference’s code for participants. 

In the concluding minutes of the meeting, board members and administrators shared their gratitude and well wishes for Osmun, who retired after 21 years in the district and 35 years in public education.

“I have been a proud teacher the whole time, no matter my role or position. I am a teacher at heart,” said Osmun, who thanked her family, colleagues, district staff and teachers and the board. “Hudson is what it is because we are constantly looking at improving our situation for our students and our staff and our community.” ∞