by Rich Larson
During their meeting on Monday night, the Northfield School Board heard presentations from Community Education Director Erin Bailey and Activities Director Joel Olson about their plans for what the district has labeled “Continuous Improvement.”
Northfield Superintendent of Schools Dr. Matt Hillmann said Director Bailey spoke about the new setting for the Community Education Department in what was the former Greenvale Park Elementary School. The goal is to take advantage of having all of the early learning programs under one roof in the interest of kindergarten readiness.
Hillmann said Director Olson spoke about putting emphasis on the educational purpose of sports and the Why We Play Initiative. He also said activities will be shifting to an online ticketing system, and he said that they are now using more data from standard parental feedback surveys to improve each activity.
Dr. Hillmann himself presented his goals to the board as well. The district is coming to the end of a five-year strategic plan, he said, so they need to start refining the processes to start developing a new one. He said he will be talking to stakeholders throughout the district, including families and other community members, to develop a well-rounded vision.
He said within that vision, they are also going to have to develop a funding priority plan. The district will begin to see declining enrollment within the next five years, and because of that, they are going to have to find ways to adjust to less funding from the state.
“We are looking at a priority plan that will most likely reduce our overall expenditures, so that will make sure that we are using [our funds] to keep that plan sustainable for a five-year process. We’ve been very fortunate to not have to do budget reductions in Northfield very often, but we want to be ahead of it. How are we going to align the human and financial resources that we have to be able to achieve our goals.”
Hillmann said other goals for the plan include continued anti-racism initiatives and a renewed curriculum review process.
The board is expected to approve these ideas at the next meeting on August23.
Jeff Johnson’s full conversation with Dr. Matt Hillmann can be heard here
Census data means redistricting on the horizon
The United States Census Bureau released the results of the 2020 census last week. While the big news is that the United States is a more racially diverse country than ever before, there were interesting findings much closer to home.
The data showed that the population of the State of Minnesota grew by about 300,000 people over the last ten years, bringing the total to slightly more than 5.6 million. Rice County grew by 4.4% to 67,097. Northfield added 783 residents, bringing the population to 20,790.
While much can be learned from the data collected in the census, the constitutional role is to determine the appropriate amount of political representation for an area for the creation of voting districts. As the population grows and shifts, so then must the boundaries of those areas.
Rice County Attorney John Fossum said re-districting will happen at the state, local and county levels, and in that order. At the state level it will most likely be done by a panel of judges appointed by the Supreme Court. Then the City of Northfield will determine how best to redistribute the local wards and precincts. After that Rice County will redraw the five commissioner districts, he said, in a way that must be contiguous, compact and as equal in population as possible.
Fossum said the process is not easy and it will not be done quickly. The state is not expected to have its districts re-drawn until sometime early next year.
Jeff Johnson’s full conversation with Rice County Attorney can be heard here
Council to meet Tuesday night
And the Northfield City Council will meet tomorrow night at 6pm in the Council Chambers at City Hall. Among the items on a busy agenda tomorrow night are three presentations, one to honor the Stormwater Pollution Prevention Poster contest, another will be made by Age Friendly Northfield, and the third will an update on the city’s Racial Equity Action Plan.
Among the items on the consent agenda will be resolutions approving the Northfield Area Fire and Rescue Service budget, accepting funds from the Federal Government as part of the American Rescue Plan, and the approving the mayoral appointments to the American Rescue Plan Local Recovery Fund Advisory Committee.
There will also be a public hearing to approve a liquor license for the new owners of the former Jesse James Lanes bowling alley and another to establish the Northfield Depot as a local heritage preservation site.
As always, the city and the council are always asking to hear opinions and comments from the public. Anyone who wishes to do so is invited to address the council in person at the meeting on any topic they see fit. Those wishing to voice their opinions without appearing at the meeting should email their councilors directly or post a comment through the eComment button on the Agendas section of the City Council website.
Rich Larson is the KYMN News Director. Contact him at rich@kymnradio.net
