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Dear Northfield Public Schools Families:

While we will continue to communicate about our priority based budget reduction process (see the update below), we must also be grateful for all of the outstanding things happening in our district. Here are just a few highlights of our students’ recent (and upcoming) success:

• Caley Graber and Ella Pagel won state championships at the Minnesota State High School League wrestling tournament. Zane Engels placed fourth, and Keith Harner and Owen Murphy both secured sixth-place finishes.

• The boys’ swim and dive team finished second at the MSHSL meet. Will Redetzke is the state champion in the 500 yard freestyle; Peyton Truman, Nick Scheglowski, Odin Bergs and Redetzke won the state title in the 200 yard relay; and Redetzke, Scheglowski, Will Udelhofen and Josh Kraby earned the champion title in the 400 yard relay.

• The boys’ hockey team won the consolation championship (5th place) at the MSHSL tournament. Ben Geiger was named to the all tournament team. Will Cashin’s photo appeared in this New York Times article about the tournament’s time-honored tradition of “hockey hair.”

• The NHS olympic weightlifting team finished second at their state competition.

• Two of three NHS knowledge bowl teams qualified for their state competition. The team of Corrie Demas, Eden Coudron, Jenny Dietiker, Theodore Murphy, and William Flannery won the regional competition. The team of Andy Elliott, Annika Reister, Audrey Hinman, Danica Sorem and Steva Thorstensson took second place at the regional tournament.

• Seven people from Northfield attended the MSBA/MASA Day at the Capitol on March 10. The group included four students, Superintendent Hillmann, School Board Clerk Amy Goerwitz, and Arcadia Executive Director Laura Stelter. During their visit, they met with Rep. Drew Roach, Sen. Bill Lieske and Rep. Kristi Pursell and learned how the legislature works. They also had the opportunity to hear from Gov. Tim Walz.
• The all-district art show is sensational and can be viewed at the Northfield Arts Guild building through March 15.

• The middle and high school choirs recently held a joint concert at Northfield High School with over 400 students participating.

• The all district band concert will be held on March 17 beginning at 7:00 pm in the NHS gymnasium.

• The all district orchestra concert will be held on March 20 beginning at 7:00 pm in the NHS gymnasium.

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

As shared with families in this special update, the district is continuing its priority based budget reduction process. We are aiming to communicate the budget teams’ recommendations as clearly as possible.

As a reminder, the reasons for the budget reductions are:

• Ongoing, incremental declining enrollment due to lower birth rates and lack of available housing.

• Inflationary impacts on district costs and lack of corresponding state funding.

• Unfunded or underfunded state and federal mandates.

• You can read more significant details about the reasons for the budget reductions and the process used to identify recommended reductions here.
  
  

The recommendation development process included:

• More than 80 people were part of the priority-based budget reductions teams. This included parents, staff, community members without children, high school students, and administrators. All those who completed an interest form were included.

• Five budget teams met three times and created initial reduction packages.

• Administrators adjusted the plan to ensure alignment with other budget team proposals and reduce unintended district-wide consequences.
  
  

There will likely be adjustments to the recommendations in the weeks ahead. If there is a change, we will update the recommendation document and note it. One example is that the Healthy Community Initiative has committed another $20,000 that will allow the middle school TORCH program to continue.

We want to specifically point out one budget reduction recommendation (No. 28) that would implement a transportation fee for students living within two miles of their school. Fees would be waived for those students who qualify for free or reduced lunch.

We want to hear your feedback, concerns, and questions. Here are some ways you can do that:

• You can share your feedback during the community meeting for public input on April 3, from 6-8:30 pm, at Northfield Middle School. You can view the agenda here.

• You can also provide feedback to the board via email using the board@northfieldschools.org email address.

Finally, we have also published a frequently asked questions document and will update it throughout the process. You can view that document here.

Please direct any questions about the priority based budget reduction process to Superintendent Matt Hillmann.

• Monday, March 24 - Friday, March 28: No School - Spring Break
• Monday, March 31 and Tuesday, April 1: No School - Teacher Preparation Days
• Wednesday, April 2: School resumes, students return.

The income tax filing season is officially open, and there are several ways you may qualify for tax benefits on your 2024 income taxes:

• Child Tax Credit: Families may qualify for a Child Tax Credit of $1,750 per qualifying child with no limit on the number of children claimed. Visit: https://www.revenue.state.mn.us/child-tax-credit for more information.
  
  

• K-12 Education Credit and Subtraction: Did you know that purchasing certain school supplies can increase your tax refund? Save your receipts and see if you qualify: https://www.revenue.state.mn.us/k-12-education-subtraction-and-credit.
  
  

• Free Tax Preparation: You may be eligible for free tax preparation services. Learn more at: https://www.revenue.state.mn.us/free-tax-preparation-sites

The calendar for the 2025-2026 school year was approved at the school board meeting on Monday, February 10.

Click here to view the 2025-2026 school year calendar.

• 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.