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The Northfield Board of Education. Front (L-R): Corey Butler, Superintendent Matt Hillmann, Claudia Gonzalez-George, Ben Miller. Back (L-R): Jeff Quinnell, Maggie Epstein, Amy Goerwitz, Jenny Nelson. Photo courtesy of Logan Wells, KYMN.

Dear Northfield Public Schools Families:

The Northfield Board of Education held its organizational meeting on Monday, January 13. At the organizational meeting, recently elected board members are sworn in, the board elects officers, and the board takes several actions about its operations for the calendar year.

Minnesota Associate Supreme Court Justice Gordon Moore administered the ceremonial oath of office and all board members participated. The board welcomed re-elected members Claudia Gonzalez-George, Corey Butler, and Amy Goerwitz, and newly elected member Maggie Epstein.

The board officers for 2025 are:

• Chair: Claudia Gonzalez-George

• Vice Chair: Corey Butler

• Clerk: Amy Goerwitz

• Treasurer: Ben Miller

The board designated legal counsel, authorized the use of facsimile signatures of board officers for signing school district checks and documents, designated the Northfield News as the official district newspaper, and approved the mileage rate as established by the Internal Revenue Service.

Several policies were also reviewed. These included:

• Policy 203: Operation of the School Board of Education

• Policy 209: Code of Ethics.

• Policy 206 Public Participation in School Board Meetings.

• The board also reviewed Minnesota Statute 13D.02 about remote board meeting participation
  
  

If you would like to attend a board meeting:

• Board meetings are held on the second and fourth Mondays of the month at 6:00 p.m. in the District Office Board Room, located at 201 Orchard Street South.

• The public is welcome to attend board meetings and should enter at Door No. 2, which is on the 2nd Street side of the building.

• Alternatively, you can also watch the board meetings live via Zoom.

• You can see a listing of board meetings, minutes, and recordings here.

I include links to information about the most recent board meeting at the end of each family update. The January 13 regular board meeting recap is included at the end of this document.

We are grateful for our dedicated school board members and their vital public service.

As always, don’t hesitate to contact me directly with feedback or questions about the school district.

Sincerely,

Matt

--

Matt Hillmann, Ed.D.

Superintendent

mhillmann@northfieldschools.org | 507-663-0629

The reasons for this fiscal reality are:

• Declining enrollment. People are having fewer children. Rice County birth rates have dropped 12% in the last ten years. There is also limited single family housing inventory in the school district. Currently, there are only 28 single family homes for sale in the entire 178-square mile school district.

• State funding has improved but has not made up for decades of underfunding. While the legislature has improved funding formulas, they have a long way to go to make up for the two decades where the basic formula did not keep pace with inflation.

• Unfunded state and federal mandates. The most significant of these is the unreimbursed costs to serve students receiving special education services. The district uses approximately $4.3 million of general fund dollars each year to subsidize this mandated and morally imperative programming.

• Ongoing inflationary pressures. As most families know, the cost of goods and services continue to increase. One example for the school district is a 30% increase in the cost of property and liability insurance.

The final details of the projected priority based budget reduction target amounts will be presented with the annual financial forecast at the January 27 regular board meeting.

We are seeking parents and caregivers to participate in priority based budget reduction teams. Meetings will be held from 6-8:30 p.m. on February 11, 18, and 25. Please indicate your interest or nominate someone else to participate using this form. If interested, complete the form by February 3, 2025.

Note: It is vital to understand this process is solely associated with our operating budget. The operating budget is directly related to the funding we receive from the state government, federal government, and our local voter-approved operating levy. The bond referendum funds approved by voters in November 2024 is separate and does not have an impact on this process. In fact, as we move ahead, an updated and more efficient Northfield High School facility will likely save operating costs.

If you have any questions, contact Superintendent Matt Hillmann or Director of Finance Val Mertesdorf.

Here are the latest updates about the Reimagining NHS bond referendum projects.

Core Planning Team

• Meetings were held on December 17 and January 8, with a community feedback event included in the December 17 meeting.

• Building tours are scheduled for January 21.
  
  

Activities Subcommittee

• Activity facility tours are scheduled for January 22.

• The first meeting is scheduled for February 26.
  
  

Facility Tours

The district will host two tours related to the Reimagine Northfield High School bond referendum projects.

• January 21: Two tours of high school facilities will be held for members of the core planning teams. One group will visit Owatonna, Waseca, St. Peter, and Tartan High Schools. The other, smaller group, will tour Rock Ridge High School in Virginia, MN, and Mora High School.

• January 22: A tour for members of the athletics subcommittee will focus on the athletic facilities of various high schools. Planned stops include New Prague, Mound Westonka, Mounds View, and Chisago Lakes.

Additional Community Input

• Wold is hosting additional feedback sessions for middle and high school students, and a session for Spanish-speaking community members on January 22.
  
  

Reimagining Northfield High School Website

Northfield High School will host the annual Human Rights Commission Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Celebration on January 20. Here are the details:

• Date: Monday, January 20

• Time: 7:00 p.m.

• Location: Northfield High School Auditorium (enter at Door No. 10)

Our schools, like much of the state, have been experiencing an increase of influenza-like and norovirus illnesses. A few tips to help avoid spreading illness at school:

• Encourage frequent hand washing with hot water and soap.

• Have your child stay home if they are not feeling well. You can review our guidelines here.

You can keep tabs on the influenza-like illness rate at your children’s school here.

• Board packets, table files, and meeting videos are located on our website.
• You can listen to Superintendent Hillmann’s update on KYMN radio.

The Northfield School District does not discriminate on the basis of sex and prohibits sex discrimination in any education program or activity that it operates, as required by Title IX, including in employment. You can learn more at: https://northfieldschools.org/about/departments/human-resources/ under the Title IX tab.