School Board Election November 4: Meet the Candidates

The school and city election is scheduled for November 4 and this election cycle we have 3 seats on the school board up for election. There are 3 candidates running for these seats and include incumbent Sannon Ingamells, who is seeking her second term on the board, and both Jared Seliger and Scott Beenken who are running for their first term. I encourage you to take a few minutes to read about these candidates and be ready to cast your vote on November 4!

Scott Beenken

Scott is no stranger to the community, growing up just south of Hudson on a farm near Buckingham. He is a proud graduate of the North Tama School District and continued his post-secondary education at Iowa State University. While at Iowa State, Scott earned a Bachelor's degree in Agricultural Studies and minored in Agronomy. 

As a co-owner of the multi-family row crop farming enterprise of B & H Agriculture Services, Scott and his team farm approximately 4,000 acres which includes some custom enterprises. Their operations not only include an area right around Hudson, but spans three counties including areas in Blackhawk, Grundy and Tama.

He has been married to his wife Stephanie for 18 years who is a registered dietician that works out of the Waterloo clinic of veterans affairs headquartered in Iowa City. Together, Stephanie and Scott keep very busy raising their three children who are all students in Hudson Schools: Sydnie is in 8th grade, Declan in 5th and Logan in 1st! 

Scott was drawn to board service through his volunteer work with the school. As an active member of the SIAC (School Improvement Advisory Committee), he was recruited to serve on the steering committee for the 2023 general obligation task force that led to the successful completion of the high school project. He is committed to a team approach to problem solving and truly believes that the collective strength of a team is what strengthens any organization. He recognizes that as a key attribute to anyone who aspires to board service.

When asked about the greatest challenge facing education statewide, he zeros in on funding. Understanding how to manage scarce resources is a challenge for all school districts and it takes a keen eye and careful understanding of the issues in order to wisely and efficiently allocate those resources to our educational programs. Hudson, on the other hand, has very unique challenges when compared to other school districts in Iowa. Where many schools in Iowa are facing declining enrollment, Hudson appears to be in direct contrast with growing enrollment. Our challenge then is to manage our educational spaces as our enrollment grows, which will ensure our students have a solid base in which to meet their future goals. 

Scott hopes that his service on the school board can make a positive and lasting impact. He understands that, not only is he working to improve the educational outcomes of his own children, but all of the children in Hudson schools, now and into the future. 

Shannon Ingamells

Shannon grew up in Cedar Falls and holds a BA Degree in Community Health Education from the University of Northern Iowa and an Associate Degree in Nursing (RN) from Inver Hills Community College. She is currently employed by Waverly Health Center as an RN in the Medical-Surgical Department and has varied nursing experience in pediatrics, public health, home health, hospice, and school nursing. Her past experience, specifically, as a school nurse manager within schools in the Cedar Valley has given Shannon a unique perspective. 

Shannon and her husband Wade, a Hudson native, have been married for 24 years. They lived in Minnesota when they were first married. Shortly afterward, they moved back to Iowa and have been happy to call Hudson home for the past 22 years.  Both of their children are graduates of Hudson High School. 

Shannon is finishing her first term on the board and has found the work rewarding, and is eager to serve another term to continue her service to the district and community. She has an interest in educational law as well as collaborating with others to arrive at the best outcome. She is accustomed to working in unique situations with an adverse and complex set of barriers. She has extensive background working with children with special health care needs in the school setting and collaborating with the AEA. She believes it takes a village to raise a child and wants to help impact the educational experiences of our Hudson students.  

Shannon believes in the uniqueness of each child and that it can be challenging for educators to find that uniqueness about each child and meet each child and their families "where they are". But, she feels if that uniqueness can be found and lifted up to help the student reach their full potential, their opportunities in life will be limitless.

Despite being a smaller school district, Shannon is happy to see the progress Hudson Schools have made to offer a myriad of educational opportunities and activities to students. Her daughter, a 2021 Hudson graduate, was able to take a CNA course her senior year. This was an amazing experience and sparked her daughter's interest in pursuing a degree in nursing as well as working at a local nursing home as CNA. Her daughter loves her CNA job and has learned that caring for others is her passion. Her daughter is currently a student in the nursing program at The University of Northern Iowa. Shannon's son, a 2024 Hudson graduate, found his path by taking welding courses at Hudson during both his junior and senior years as well as participating in the Cooperative Work Experience (CEO) program. Her son then went on to earn a welding degree at Hawkeye Community College and is now loving his full time work as a welder for a local rail car company. Shannon believes the educational experiences her children received while students at Hudson has helped shape who they are today.

If re-elected, Shannon hopes to continue making a positive impact by the choices and decisions that are made as a board member.  She is committed to ensuring Hudson Schools continues to be a place where students want to learn and teachers want to teach, where they wake up every morning and are excited to be there.  Shannon is proud of the work she and the current school board are doing. She appreciates the team work, discussion, and importance placed on each issue to ensure the best possible outcomes for our students, their families, and our staff.

Dr. Jared Seliger 

Originally from Jesup, Dr. Seliger is a graduate of Don Bosco High School and holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Loras College; a certificate in nuclear medicine from the University of Iowa, an MBA from the University of Northern Iowa, and a PdD in Educational Leadership from Iowa State University. He has worked at Allen College in Waterloo where he started as program director in the Nuclear Medicine Technology program. In 2018, he was named President of Allen College.

Dr. Seliger and his wife Miranda have lived in Hudson since 2010 and are raising one daughter, Tenley who is currently in 4th grade. He is excited to be running for a seat on the school board and is eager to give back to the community. Jared believes our public school system is the catalyst and foundation to success in life and wants to ensure that Tenley and all children in our community continue to receive an exemplary education. He hopes that by serving on the board, he will be a strong advocate for children in Hudson and work to ensure the education they receive is among the best in the state and country.

From a statewide perspective, he believe the greatest challenge to be an ever shrinking pipeline of young people pursuing education as a career. Dr. Seliger points out that Iowa has numerous small, rural districts that can make it difficult to compete for talent. The inability to attract strong teachers to smaller school districts will make it even more difficult to adequately serve the needs of students in those districts. 

On the other hand, he believes the greatest challenge facing the Hudson Community School District is rapid growth. As more students move into the district, the current infrastructure is not sufficient to meet the needs of a growing student population. While he applauds the current expansion and renovation at the high school, he recognizes that continued student growth will create additional infrastructure challenges. 

Enrollment: Headcount Up; Certified Down Slightly

October is a very busy month for school administrators in Iowa, as a plethora of state reporting occurs. None may be more important than certifying our enrollment. October 1 is the Official Count Day, and that is the day we take a census of the number of students we have in our school district. This enrollment census is critical because it provides the first key variable necessary for budgeting the 2026-2027 school year. Once we have taken that count on October 1, the following two weeks are used to reconcile those numbers with other school districts, ensuring students who are open enrolled, attending private schools, or who are homeschooled are property accounted for. Today then, October 15th is the date those numbers are certified with the state. To view the complete report, please follow this link.

When considering preschool through twelfth grade enrollment, the district is currently serving 924 students, which is slightly less than last year. Kindergarten through twelfth grade enrollment on October 1 was 877 students, which was less than projected through a student conducted by RSP and Associates. That study predicted enrollment would be 893. Although this difference is notable, the headcount, or number of students attending Hudson School is up 8 students from last year at the same time period. Up is good, but this less than expected and could be indicative of a softening economy. 

Certified enrollment describes students with a physical address of Hudson and includes students who attend school in Hudson or open enroll to another public-school district. Our certified number is down 8.54 students from last year. The basic calculation is the number of resident students attending in the local district, plus the number of resident students attending another public-school district. The BEDS count, on the other hand considers students who are served in the school district. The basic calculation here is resident students attending our school district, plus those who are open enrolled into Hudson. In this case, there is a net increase of 5.10 students over last year from 876.64 to 881.74, or a .58% enrollment increase. This is less than expected.

The number of students open enrolling out of Hudson has also increased from 69 to 73 with just over half choosing Cedar Falls (33). The second spot belongs to a host of online options, with (13) Hudson residents attending those programs, followed by (12) in Gladbrook-Reinbeck. There are 185 students open enrolling into Hudson, compared to 170 from a year ago. Waterloo continues to lead, with (117) students open enrolling into Hudson, up from (114) a year ago. Our data suggests (11) students taking advantage of the ESA program, up from (5) one a year ago. The primary takeaway is that a net positive of 113 students (those open enrolled in minus those open enrolled out) is a very good sign for the district.  

We had 41 students who were enrolled last year but have subsequently transferred out or moved to another school district. This compares to 39 students who moved out last year and would suggest a more transient population of learners.

Elementary grade levels remain the largest, with 4 sections per grade level from grades K-3. Even while considering a slight dip in enrollment this current year, the district anticipates a four-section grade level pattern to continue matriculating across the district. Even so, a deliberate decision has been made to cap open enrollment. This is being done purposefully in order to accommodate the increase in resident ‘attending’ students. The strategy being employed will be to counterbalance residential enrollment with open enrollment. As residential enrollment increases, open enrollment will decrease; which is illustrated in this report. While the challenges of staffing remain real, the fact is that residential enrollment growth will undoubtedly add additional strain to our system.  

Enrollment projections used in this study are calculated based on a cohort methodology that uses a five-year rolling average to determine kindergarten size. Over the last 5 years, the kindergarten has averaged 76 students; while in the last 10 years it has averaged 65.5. Based on both residential enrollment growth coupled with open enrollment, a projection of 76 seems to be right, particularly since open enrollment from Waterloo is not anticipated to drop off. With this methodology, estimates from prior years are left static since there is no algorithm to accurately predict transfers in or out of the district. If these projections were come to fruition, we will reach a current high-water mark of 970 in 2030-2031. 

However, during the last school year, the school district contracted with RSP and Associates to conduct an enrollment study for the school district. As mentioned in the opening paragraph, this estimation was slightly off what was predicted. Yet, it is important to note the RSP work suggest K-12 enrollment topping 1,011 during the 2029-2030 academic year. This should not be interpreted as one model being superior to the other, but they instead should be viewed as complementary instruments that utilize different methodologies. While this analysis is markedly different from the cohort methodology deployed by today's report, both models suggest rapid enrollment growth; particularly evidenced by smaller class sizes graduating from high school and larger class sizes entering kindergarten. To compare the results of both reports, please visit the 'About Us' section of our website. 

Homecoming 2025

The concept of homecoming has its roots in the early 19th century when it was first adopted by colleges and universities to as a way to welcome back alumni around a major athletic event. According to legend, the athletic director at the University of Missouri was looking for a way to boost attendance at the annual rivalry football game during the 1911 'Border War' contest with the University of Kansas. What better way to do so then inviting back alumni for a weekend celebration that included pep rallies, bon fires, and parades; all culminating in the big game? The model for the modern homecoming celebration was born. By the 1950s, it was ubiquitous in high schools all around the nation.

My relationship with homecoming over the years has been, well a bit complicated. Perhaps I'm a bit stubborn but as illustrated above, homecoming at its roots was about the alumni. Factor in the consideration that at one time, what had been a weekend celebration has morphed into a weeklong interruption to the normal and regular operation of the institution. The potential for chaos keeps me awake at night! One may think a day of dressing a certain way is pretty benign, but perhaps a visit to the kindergarten wing during 'dress like your teacher day' might be a good way to test that theory! I know, I know. I'm a fun hater, right? Hold on a moment, I did say this was complicated!

On one hand it is critically important that we never lose sight of the primary purpose we exist. To that end, we strive to make every moment count and ensure that instructional time-those minutes we use to educate the youth of our community are not wasted. I remind our staff at the beginning of each year of the enormous responsibility they carry and the job they must do-and the fact they have 180 days in which to do it. 

Yet, the other side of the same coin would remind us that while the work we do is incredibly important, there is no prohibition in having fun while doing it! Many times in this missive I have extolled the virtues of the American public school system while drawing comparisons with our counterparts in other countries. Where those systems do not include robust activity programs (art, music, athletics), ours does. Indeed, homecoming is a uniquely American experience and one that, in spite of my 'complicated relationship' am proud to celebrate.

What had at one time been a gimmick to pack the stands a rivalry football game has evolved into something much more. Homecoming does still have that element of welcoming home our alumni. But now, it is about school and community pride. In the final analysis perhaps now, [more so] that really is the nexus of what this thing we call homecoming is all about. After all, the first thing most people see when they are approaching the gateway view of our small Iowa town is a water tower emblazoned with the Pirate logo. We wear navy and white because we are proud not just of our school, but we are proud of where we are from. We wear navy and white because we are inspired by the accomplishments of our students. We are proud of what they are able to achieve in the classroom and on the field of play. We are appreciative and satisfied when we hear the stories of our students who have set examples that, at one time were nurtured and cultivated within our own halls, and now serve as an inspiration for those who follow in their footsteps.

In my view, Homecoming 2025 was a tremendous success. Not just because of the huge upset win at the game on Friday night, but also the spirit, joy, and excitement the week brought to our students and community. The annual chili supper at the fire station. The pep rallies. The homecoming dance. The game. And yes, the dress up days. Thanks to everyone who worked so hard in planning the week!

Recapturing The Spirit of Youth

My first bicycle was a Christmas present from my grandparents. I was a little guy, probably not much more that 3 or 4 years old. It was a tan colored Huffy with a banana seat. I learned to ride in the backyard on the farm, and once I had it figured out I was zipping all over the place. Watching my next door neighbor (a four year old in his own right) find his balance with his dad running along behind him a few weeks ago really took me back. After a few falls he finally got the hang of it, and then there was no stopping him. In my own mind I was cheering him along with his parents. 

At the time we lived on a gravel road and there was no stopping me either. I discovered if I ran my bike in the tracks cars made down the lane it worked out pretty well. We only lived about a half mile from a creek so that quickly became a favorite destination for me. Oftentimes with a fishing pole strapped to my back! Before long, I had graduated up to a 10 speed. Once I had that bike it felt like I had achieved true freedom, especially when my buddies and I would ride from Clemons to State Center. That was where all the action was and a round trip of 14 miles on a county black top was a breeze for a group of preteen boys. In those days, riding a bike was not really considered a leisure activity. No, it was our primary form of transportation. 

But something else happened during those preteen years that inevitably retired my bicycle to the back of the garage under a layer of dust: A '65 Chevelle. Black with red interior, it was really a nice car (and really too much car for a novice driver of my experience and maturity). Yep, once I turned 16 my mode of transportation became 4 wheels instead of 2. Heck, in those days one could fill up the tank for $10 and drive forever. Where the joy of riding my bike as a youngster had at one time been my preferred (albeit only) mode of getting from point 'A' to point 'B', it was now something that was for 'kids'. 

From that point forward, I didn't really ride a bike anymore. Heck I didn't even need a bike anymore! Although there was that stunt some college buddies and I pulled when we decided to ride RAGBRAI in our early twenties. We were young and fit, so certainly didn't need to train for the ride, right? Wrong! Anyway, serious bike riding was a thing of the past and something relegated to children. 

But then...

A handful of years ago, the district won a grant that outfitted our PE department with a classroom set of bicycles. What probably began as a novelty has now grown into a full unit of study in grades 7-12. With our school district ideally situated on a comprehensive trail network, it really fit nicely into our curriculum. Not too long after getting the bikes, one of the high school students asked me if I'd like to try a bike. This was in the controlled environment of the high school auxiliary gym, so I jumped on and pedaled across the gym. For what it's worth the saying is true, 'just like riding a bike'. Nevertheless, it brought back some of those feelings of nostalgia and youth. But not to the point of spurring me to action. 

The last couple of years have found us pretty close to home, without many adventures or the traveling that we have been accustomed to. I had started walking a few years back as a form of 'exercise', but it just wasn't providing the results that I thought it should. It didn't take too long before I was looking for something else to do. I needed a new hobby! I thought back to that quick ride I took across the gym and thought, why not? So, I went out and got a bike. I started slowly, a ride from home to my office and back was a few miles. Before I knew it, I was able to do a 20 mile ride without any discomfort. 

Now, this post isn't about me picking up a new hobby. No, its about instilling in our students a lifelong love of learning and living a healthy lifestyle. It's relatively easy to go to work each day, come home, turn on the television and fall asleep in my recliner. Then dragging myself off to bed before waking up the next day to do it all over again. As I have come to realize over the last few years, we all need to live each day to the fullest. There is, and should be, much more to life than work. Hopefully this new hobby can be an example to our youngsters. 

From a macro standpoint, I drive home the point that elementary school is about teaching kids to read and secondary school is about helping kids figure out what they want to do when they leave our care. Painting with broad strokes that most certainly is true. But when you consider the totality of a public school experience there is a whole lot more to it. It is about fine arts and experiencing the beauty of the world through music, theatre, and drama. It is also about healthy living, taking care of ourselves, and experiencing the joy of leisure activity. So when the opportunity came up for me to go on a bike ride with our 8th graders last week I jumped at the chance. Not only was it a chance to enjoy an afternoon outdoors, it also allowed me to model the very type of activity that can hopefully lead to healthy living and a lifetime of exercise and enjoyment. While riding with the students, I asked several if they had bikes at home and if they rode them. Not surprisingly, most of them responded the same way that I did at their age. They may have them now; but they were mostly looking forward to retiring their bikes for cars. 

I totally understand the sentiment. However, I hope that in addition to learning those core pillars mentioned above, they retain and aspire to a lifestyle of healthy living and quality leisure time. Yes, they will certainly get to their destination faster in a car, but a bike ride will enable them to enjoy a quieter time. And hopefully 20 or 30 years from now, they will be able to jump on a bike and remember what it was like to be a kid!