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Hudson student services highlights growth in ELL, therapy-dog teams and transition services
Summary
The district's student services office reported increased ELL enrollment, no medication errors across health offices, expansion of therapy-dog teams, a new PACE workplace classroom for students with disabilities, and other programs (DARE, Key to Ed, JED Foundation work).
Tara (student services) and assistant director Fafani briefed the board on student-services programs and outcomes, reporting enrollment, program expansion and several new or scaled services for students with disabilities and English-language learners (ELL).
Tara said the district has 115 ELL students, including about 40 "newcomers" who have been in the United States fewer than three years. She described an expanded transition program that serves students through age 21 and noted the district rents space in a local YMCA teen center for some transition programming.
On health and safety, Tara reported more than 23,000 health-office visits districtwide during the year and said there were "0 medication errors," a multi-year streak the administration highlighted as a safety accomplishment. She also described the district's Procedural Compliance Self Assessment (PCSA) work with the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction (DPI), saying the district reviewed more than 100 individualized education programs (IEPs) as part of the compliance process.
Program expansions and partnerships: Student services described three therapy-dog teams that now serve district buildings at no cost to the district: Penny at the high school, Amber at Rivercrest and Eddie at Holton. The district also expanded a DARE program to all elementary buildings this year with support from North Hudson Police and the county sheriff's office. The district continues a Key to Ed facilitated-IEP partnership and has established subcommittees for the JED Foundation suicide-prevention work.
New facility-based programming: Student services recently completed a PACE (Practical Assessment Exploration) classroom, a workplace-simulation room designed to teach workplace skills, hygiene and behavioral expectations to students with disabilities. Tara said teachers were trained and the classroom will provide hands-on job supervision and skills training.
Why it matters: Administrators told the board these investments support transition-to-work outcomes and social-emotional supports for students across the district. Board members praised the work and noted the broad community engagement at events such as Celebration of Nations, which grew from about 50 attendees in 2022 to more than 700 at the most recent event.
What's next: Student services will continue the PACE rollout, monitor Key to Ed and PCSA outcomes, and report continuing program metrics to the board.
