Hudson School District restricts property showings after Holton tour; NDAs required

The Hudson School District will restrict real estate showings of district properties to after 6 p.m. on weekdays or to weekends and require nondisclosure agreements for prospective buyers after a pre-school-day Holton Elementary showing drew about 15 visitors, officials said.

"There were no pictures of students taken. There was no video of students taken," Nick, the district's chief financial and operations officer, told the board after reading a summary of events and the district's new procedures. He said the district verified that no student images were taken with the listing agent and visiting parties.

Nick said the tour took place from about 7:30 to 8:00 a.m.; staff found the group disruptive and the district has since adjusted its practice so that tours will occur after school-age care is finished or on weekends. He added that future visitors will be asked to sign nondisclosure agreements during any required due-diligence period.

Board members who are Holton parents and alumni apologized to families. "I regret that this happened. I think it was some miscommunication," Brian, a board member and Holton parent, said. Other trustees said they will have board members attend showings when appropriate and described treating showings with high privacy and supervision standards.

Administrators also clarified that vendors and contractors who enter buildings during the school day are supervised by staff and must check in through the building system; the district said supervised visitors are not separately background-checked if staff are continuously present.

The board accepted the administrative changes and described the first early-morning showing as a "hiccup" that prompted the revised scheduling and documentation procedures.