By Teri Knight, News Director
While the colleges seem to be planning for returning students, the Northfield School District continues to work on plans for three different scenarios including a full return to in-person classes, continued long-distance learning and/or a hybrid. Superintendent Dr. Matt Hillmann said the hybrid option would mean strict 6 ft. social distancing and only 50% capacity for the facilities and school buses, Hillmann explained, “obviously that one is a very interesting and multi-faceted option to plan for and the one we’ll be spending the most of our time on over the next month or so really developing the details of that”. Hillmann said they found during this long-distance learning that the students’ needs vary and a simple division for the hybrid option isn’t that simple. Some students thrive with online learning, others really need that in-person classroom.The guidelines
posted last week by the Dept. of Education was over 100 pages with an additional 20 pages from the MN Dept. of Health. Hillmann said the Administrative team is working through all these guidelines and reaching out to other staff and stakeholders. Their goal is to fully and seamlessly meet the needs of the students on all levels. The State is also opening the door for regional decisions, Hillmann said, “so it’s possible that you could have one region of the state in in-person learning, another region of the state where they’re in distance learning based on how many outbreaks of the virus occur”. They could even divide it up all the way down to individual school buildings. The Dept. of Education will give their decision for the opening of schools during the week of July 27th. Hillmann said their goal is to have all three plans 85 to 90% complete by that time. Commenting on St. Olaf’s decision to start 3 weeks early, he said, “really some sound logic to try to minimize the students leaving campus and coming back. So let’s say St. Olaf starting early and my understanding coming back around Thanksgiving that really makes sense for a residential based educational organization”. That doesn’t work for the K-12 system here. Hillmann’s full interview is HERE.
Courts struggle with how to safely open
While Rice County courts have been holding Zoom hearings, they have now opened up to in-person business at Court Administration. Rice County Attorney John Fossum added, “we’ve been working with Court Administration, we’ve been working with the Sheriff’s Office, we’ve been working with Public Health to try and figure out how we reopen the Courthouse, how we maintain social distancing, how we protect people from spreading the virus”. There will be no mass hearings such as they have for Traffic Court. There’s been no jury trial since early March. The Chief Justice has said there won’t be any until July, at this point. Fossum said, “our current jury boxes are too small to have a dozen people in because they’re too close together”, he said Rice County is contemplating, “using one of the old rooms in the basement and trying to provide some screens, some plexiglass dividers that we’ll put between the jurors. Of course the problem is that breaks up the sightlines that makes it big and clumsy, but we’ve got to give people a chance to have a trial”. They are waiting for more guidance from the court system. He said they’re adapting as well as they can.
NDDC receives grant for “Threshold” sculpture
The Northfield Downtown Development Corporation is pleased to announce it has been selected for a 2020 Arts & Cultural Heritage grant through the Southeastern Minnesota Arts Council (SEMAC). The $6,750 award will fund the purchase, repair, and installation of a sculpture at the west entrance to the Riverwalk (219 Water Street, just north of Basil’s Pizza). The sculpture is titled “Threshold” and is the work of Northfield native and St. Olaf College graduate, Kris Swanson. This specific project is part of a larger City-approved plan to add art elements within the downtown Arts Corridor.
