Welcome to the Home of the Pirates

On Halloween we welcomed students into the new addition for the first time. To see the looks on their faces as they walked through the door made it all worth it. I felt like I was able to finally exhale! Upon reflection, the genesis of this project extends back well more than a decade. It began with an idea to create a state of the art career and technical education center, to add gym space in the high school, and to correct design flaws and mechanical issues that had plagued the high school since its original opening in 1997. 

"But first", I told Mr. Dieken, "The K-8 building". 

He was patient, all the while continuing to share his views on how wonderful it would be to have the agriculture and industrial arts classes in the same building. To have a space where students could learn about the trades. A 'hub' where all our career and technical education strands could have spaces designed specifically with them in mind. A place where it was made clear that a four year college degree does not need to be the only option for entrance into the middle class. But we waited. The K-8 building had to come first. After all, it was older and was facing some of the very same mechanical issues as the high school, only more exacerbated. We finished the K-8 building for the opening of the 2020-2021 school year. Hopefully you will all agree that it turned out great and looks amazing. But unfortunately because of COVID we weren't able to have the public celebration that I had hoped. Nonetheless, we have worked hard to update all our facilities and as I'm sure you are aware, that work is never done.

Meanwhile, the mechanical systems in the high school were reaching end of life. The cooling tower made so much noise you could hear it blocks away. Heat pumps in the building were beginning to fail. And parts, well they weren't available because the system was obsolete. It was time to act. 

So then, following months, yes even years of planning and strategizing with the Board of Directors, architects and consultants; in January of 2022 the district convened a task force. That task force was charged with helping to focus our facility planning and to identify projects that would improve our facilities to better serve our students and community. Over the course of 2022, they gained a deeper understanding of the needs of the district. They toured the schools to see those needs firsthand. They took a crash course on school financing, gaining a better understanding of financing options for school projects. They met with architects, providing input on potential designs and features. Finally, they took feedback from the greater community and provided a recommendation to the school board to pursue those projects and called for a special election. Their work didn't stop there though. In the lead up to the election, this task force held community forums. Met with their neighbors. Called constituents. All in an effort to educate them about the project. Then, on September 13, 2022 we went to the polls and you, the community stakeholders passed a referendum by supermajority to proceed with the project. That was just a little more than two years ago!

In that interim period, we went through multiple design options and considered countless construction options ranging from pre-engineered buildings to the brick and mortar facility we ultimately built. We were faced with delays due to supply chain issues. We wrangled sub-contractors to keep them on track, and in some instances replaced them when it became clear they weren't up to the task. During the first summer of construction we endured a drought to be slowed only by the challenges of getting submittals approved. In the second summer, we dealt with excessive rain that saturated the ground to such a degree that it caused even further delays.

Early in the process, I would stand in various locations around the construction site trying to visualize the finished product. Multiple times a day I would make this trek from my office, answering questions from our contractors and engineers. Yes, sometimes letting my frustration show through when the progress wasn't quite where I thought it should be, or when something was finished to an inferior standard. All the while, slowly but surely seeing the building take shape around me. Soon, that vision began to be replaced by the reality of what I was seeing. One day it finally dawned on me: we have changed the skyline of Hudson forever. 

While the centerpiece of this work is the new addition before you, don't forget the fact that almost every inch of this facility was touched. Think about this. The classroom windows leaked. The ceilings sagged. The carpet was worn. Our lights were inefficient. And, as I have incessantly reminded everyone over the course of the last several years, our mechanical system was obsolete. In my view, what we truly have here, is a brand new high school.

There are numerous people to thank for the work that went into this monumental undertaking. As mentioned above, we owe a debt of gratitude to the task force who worked so tirelessly to shape this vision and all their preparation leading up to the election. We need to thank the school board for their leadership and dedication to this project. Their commitment to ensuring our students receive a world class education in modern facilities suited for 21st Century work is unquestioned. Thank you to Cardinal Construction, our architectural team and friends at ISG who created numerous renderings, only to be sent back to your drawing boards time and time again. Your patience is noted. I am also grateful to our engineering team at MODUS for answering all the technical questions that came up and your response to my endless 'requests for information'.

Thank you to all our local contractors who had to, from time to time be on the receiving end of my pointed and sometimes salty feedback. It was also incredibly satisfying for me to see the contributions of our local business owners, not only those who worked as contractors on this project, but those who also pitched in in so many other ways that will become even more evident in the coming days. I am also quite proud and humbled to see the craftsmanship that was on display from those young apprentices and journeymen who, just a few short years ago were walking these very halls as students. It is my hope that this facility will nurture even more of our students into these very noble trades.

Thank you to our high school students. I know it hasn't been easy living in a construction zone for the last year and a half, but you handled it with grace and poise. And finally, thank you to the community for making this investment in your public school. Passing a bond issue is no easy task, and your support of this school district and the students who are served by it shines through. 

So welcome to your new home! I sincerely hope these facilities have given you all something to be proud of and I can't wait to see our students put them to use.