ENG 2023-24 Family Update No. 13
Jan. 23, 2024
The district is finalizing its implementation of CrisisGo, a communication tool to assist administration and staff better prepare and respond to safety concerns and situations. This mobile app will allow staff to communicate quickly and provide student rostering in case of an emergency.
Over the next months each district building will be testing the use of this app. The sound the app makes on a phone or laptop is very similar to the sound you hear when an Amber Alert is initiated. It is generally not very loud, but can be amplified if multiple staff or administrators are together when the alert is started. We will talk with all students and share with them what the CrisisGo alert sounds like.
We are sharing this information with families so you are aware of this additional step the district is taking to help keep our students safe, and to give you an opportunity to have a discussion with your children about the "Amber Alert" like sound they may hear.
Contact Director of Buildings and Grounds Justin Raabolle with any questions about CrisisGo.
Several times per year, I invite parents/caregivers, district residents, and business and property owners to schedule meetings about any district-related topic they would like to discuss with me. Here are details about an upcoming opportunity:
Jan. 31, 2024, 1 pm — 4 pm
Meetings are held in my office.
Email Anita Aase at aaase@northfieldschools.org to schedule a 15-minute or 30-minute time slot.
Please note: I am always willing to have meetings with members of our school community. These events are intended to provide an explicit invitation to a wider community audience.
The Northfield Teaching Fellows is a “grow your own” program funded by a grant from the Minnesota Department of Education.
This program is intended to help Black, Indigenous, or People of Color (BIPOC) with a Northfield connection attain their Minnesota teaching license.
The program offers financial and professional support for candidates accepted into the program.
You can apply now! Visit the Northfield Teaching Fellows website for more information.
Previous district updates have highlighted the discussion and events held so far as part of the process in determining how to address the facility problems at NHS. Here are the latest updates:
Options
The board heard several options to address the facility problems identified at Northfield High School at its Jan. 16 work session. These are draft options with estimated costs. Any associated drawings or space summaries are for “test fit” purposes and discussion only.
Option 1A: Substantial maintenance and modest renovation of the existing facility. Estimated cost: $59.5 million
Option 1B: Substantial maintenance and modest renovation of the existing facility, new furniture for the entire facility, and a turf practice field for PE classes and athletic practices. Estimated cost: $66.5 million.
Option 1C: Substantial maintenance and modest renovation of the existing facility, new furniture for the entire facility, a turf practice field for PE classes and athletic practices, and an athletic fieldhouse with room for four basketball courts. Estimated cost: $87.2 million.
Window expansion for Option 1A, 1B, or 1C: This would not just replace but expand the windows for more natural light. This would add $2.5 million to the costs listed above.
Option 2: Reimagine the existing facility. This would include a significant, multi-story addition, demolition of the H, D, M, and S wings, and renovation of the remaining parts of the existing facility, a turf practice field for PE classes and athletic practices, and an athletic fieldhouse with room for four basketball courts. Estimated cost: $117.6 million.
Option 3: A new school on the existing campus, demolition of most of the existing facility (leaving gym, auditorium, and cafeteria for community use). (The athletic fieldhouse amenities would be incorporated into the new building.) Estimated cost range: $162.8 million—173.2 million.
Option 4: A new school on a new campus. Estimated cost range: $172.8 million—176.4 million.
Potential geothermal solution: This could be added to any of the options. Estimated cost: $7 million.
You can see more details of these draft estimates and test fit solutions here. Again, these are draft estimates to show the scope of potential projects, not specific plans. These were also part of the Jan. 22 board packet.
Tours
The fourth NHS facility tour is scheduled for Feb. 3.
The tour begins at 10:00 a.m. and takes approximately two hours.
The tour will begin in the high school media center.
Public meeting
A public meeting to seek feedback from district stakeholders will be held on Monday, Jan. 29, beginning at 6:00 p.m. in the high school auditorium. The format is as follows:
There will be a brief presentation about the decision-making process, the problems identified with the facility, and potential options to address those problems.
Attendees will break into groups, led by board members and administrators, and be able to share their ideas and feedback in a smaller setting.
Attendees will have the opportunity (two minutes each) to share their perspective with the full board in a public comment-style setting.
The board will debrief what it has learned from attendees to close the session.
Free childcare can be reserved for this meeting, provided by the district’s Ventures program staff. You must complete this form by Friday, Jan. 26, at 12:00 pm, to use the free childcare service.
Contact Matt Hillmann (mhillmann@northfieldschools.org ) with any questions about the public meeting.
