Northfield School District has a self-funded insurance program for employees. Superintendent Dr. Matt Hillmann said there fund balance is $5.6 million. Hillmann said, “because we’ve managed this fund so well, because we are actually paying our own bills and having our premiums in our own accounts, we’ve been able to amass that really awesome fund balance that helps us maintain our health insurance premiums over time”. Bottom line is their insurance premiums have not increased since 2012. He added, “and in 2018 we actually reduced them… and so, whoever does that with insurance?”. Their program was ranked in the top 48 out of more than 2200 surveyed through a national brokerage company.
Hillmann said this is a collaboration between the District and the five unions they work with. He added that, while Northfield salaries may be slightly lower, it’s made up for in their quality insurance package. The net take-home is the same, if not better than in a district twice their size. As the District heads to the November 6th referendum, Hillmann was pointing out how they are doing everything they can to be good stewards of the dollars the taxpayers give them. For more information on the $41 million elementary school ask, go to the School District website. There will be a final tour of Greenvale Park on Monday, October 29th beginning at 7pm. Hillmann invites the community to take the tour and ask your questions. Principal Sam Richardson and Building Director Jim Kulseth will be your guides.
“We walk because They walk” – CROP walk
In this contentious climate, clean water and food is something everyone can get behind. This year’s Northfield Crop Walk is Sunday at 1pm. Registration begins at 12:30 in Lions Riverside Park on Poplar St. This is Catherine Olson’s first year on the Crop Walk steering committee. The mother of six, she’s been involved in world hunger issues for many years including multiple mission trips around the world. She explained, this year’s walk will take folks on the E. Cannon River Trail. It’s 2.5 miles in and 2.5 miles back. Their motto is We Walk because They Walk, referring to those who must walk miles to get water and food. The annual event is organized by local congregations with 75{b5761be34e80a16b6d0e4dabc1869c131a263f96a745c82bebdd3b8a4330bfa9} of funds raised going to Church World Service/CROP’s mission, helping those around the world dig wells and plant crops. They partner with the international development and relief agencies of 37 Christian denominations. The remaining 25{b5761be34e80a16b6d0e4dabc1869c131a263f96a745c82bebdd3b8a4330bfa9} of proceeds go to fight hunger right in the Northfield area through our Community Action Center.
Lonsdale winner of statewide Self-Published book contest
SELCO (Southeastern Libraries Cooperating) is pleased to announce a local winner for the grand prize in the MN Writes MN Reads contest. Lizbeth Selvig is a Lonsdale Library patron, winning with her novel Betting on Paradise, and Chris Norbury, an Owatonna Library patron, was named a finalist for his novel Castle Danger. This is the first self-published author contest in Minnesota. The regional library systems and other collaborators look forward to having even greater participation across the state next year.” Visit MNWritesMNReads.org for more information.
