By Rich Larson, News Director
The Northfield Public School District is now phasing children back into the classroom for in-person learning. Last week the pre-k through 2nd grade students went back to campus, on Monday schools will welcome back 3rd-5th graders, and on Tuesday the Middle School and High School will resume the hybrid model that has students moving between in-person and distance learning on alternating days.
Superintendent of Schools Dr. Matt Hillmann said that so far, things are going quite well. Hillmann said he has visited each of the schools at least twice, and he is very proud of the way the staff and faculty have been able to bring children back after two months of distance learning. He said for the younger students it’s almost like a second first day of school this year. Some of them have had their routines disrupted which can make for some minor problems, but overall, he said that things have gone quite smoothly.
Hillmann said the decision to return to in-person learning was a multi-pronged discussion with many both internal and external conversations. He said the Rice County Public Health Department was consulted often during the process, and when they were almost ready to go, he said the district and the county had one more chat.
“We walked through our protocols, we walked through our county information, and the Rice County Department of Health had no abjections to our plan to bring students back in this way. They did really encourage us to keep a close eye on the data and we will continue to make the best decision that we can for public health and then for the health of our students and staff.”
Hillmann also said that while he was hopeful that things can start to move back to normal, the district will always keep an eye on the County Covid Infection Rate, and if the numbers begin to spike again, they will not hesitate to go back to distance learning.
Draheim calls reinsurance program ‘most important’
Among the responsibilities that Senator Rich Draheim has assumed in the Senate this year is the role as Vice-Chair on the Senate Health and Human
Services Committee. He said that the most important thing his committee can do this year to help Minnesotans is to extend the State’s reinsurance program that has been credited with keeping insurance premiums down in the last two years. Draheim said that program is set to expire next year.
“If we hadn’t done that four years ago, insurance would have continued growing at a double-digit percentage, some believe 20 or thirty percent per year. We need to figure that out for this year and that’s probably the most important thing we can do this year to help out the majority of Minnesotans.”
Another priority the Senator talked about was staving off a mental health crisis. In recent weeks both Representative Todd Lippert and Rice County Sheriff Troy Dunn have discussed the need for more state funding of mental health facilities. Draheim agreed that there are not enough mental health beds available in the state right now, and indeed with the closure of hospitals in the Twin Cities area, the demand has only grown stronger. Draheim said that many Minnesota families have been forced to take loved ones hours away from home or even out of state to get the help they need, and he said that is a problem that needs to be fixed.
New City Attorney for Dundas
And the City of Dundas has a new City Attorney. Dundas City Administrator Jenelle Teppen said that on Monday night the Dundas city council approved the retaining funds for Jared Shepherd of the Hoff Barry law firm in Eden Prairie. Teppen said Shepherd was selected in part because Hoff Barry is a firm deeply involved in municipal law. She said that she expects Shepherd will attend the next several council meetings to learn as much as he can about Dundas, and the way the city operates.
