Last week the Minnesota Department of Education released the statistics showing the graduation rate of every school district in the state.
According to the data the Northfield School District, even in the face of the Covid-19 pandemic, is operating at a very high level in terms of graduating seniors.
The Northfield Class of 2021 saw 96.7% of its students graduate on time. This means, of 334 students, only 10 did not graduate last year. Compared to the state graduation average of 83.3%, Northfield was 13.4% higher.
Going through some of the demographics, the Northfield Hispanic student graduation rate was 97.7% for 2021 versus a statewide average of 69%.
Northfield Superintendent of Schools Dr. Matt Hillmann said graduation rates were down across the board last year because of Covid-19. The Class of 2021, he said, had the end of their junior year disrupted at the onset of the pandemic when they were sent into distance learning in March and remained in that model until the end of the year. Returning to school in September 2020, the class of 2021 bounced between distance learning and a hybrid learning model for most of the year, until the entire class returned to in-person learning for the spring quarter. And, while in school, the students were required to wear masks at all times and were put into quarantine if they were exposed to a student who tested positive for the virus. There were also social distance requirements, not just among the students, but with teachers as well. All in all, Hillmann said, at nearly 97%, the class of 2021 did very well.
“When you think about that rate, I want to congratulate the Class of 2021. They showed perseverance, they showed determination, and they worked very hard. I want to congratulate their teachers and the other support staff at school. I want to congratulate their parents. This was a tough thing, and people powered through it.”
Dr. Hillmann said the graduation rate at the area learning center dipped last year, which was to be expected. However, of the ten students who did not graduate last year, more than half of them are working toward their high school diploma, and the combination of those students and the students in the ALC will bring the graduation rate up to 90%.
Jeff Johnson’s full conversation with Dr. Matt Hillmann can be heard here
Legislature making Bird Flu a priority
The Minnesota legislature is taking the week off in observance of Easter and Passover. Before they adjourned for the week, however, both the
Senate and the House passed a bill that would provide $1 million in funding to the Agriculture Department to address the avian influenza epidemic that has swept across the country and into Minnesota.
In January, the Highly Pathogenic H5N1 Avian Influenza virus was discovered in wild birds that had been killed by hunters in North Carolina. A few weeks later, the virus, commonly known as the Bird Flu, was discovered in a Turkey farm in Indiana. Since then, it has spread to at least 24 states. It was confirmed in Minnesota late last month.
Minnesota State Senator Rich Draheim said, the virus could have devastating results on the Minnesota economy, and the food supply chain.
“Well over a million birds have been destroyed, and most of them are turkeys and chickens. But we have a very fragile food system right now, with everything we’ve gone through with the supply chain issues. And then to have this happen is only going to make it worse.”
Indeed, the latest numbers show more than 1.7 million birds have been destroyed in Minnesota as a result of the epidemic.
Representative Todd Lippert said the House is very concerned about the effects of Bird Flu on Minnesota poultry producers, especially because the state is the largest turkey producer in the country. In 2015, an outbreak in the state caused the death of 9 million birds. He said the passage of the bill was an important accomplishment before the break.
In the Senate, where the bill originated, Draheim said he and his colleagues felt a strong need to put the bill together before the break, even though a similar bill had already been passed.
Originally, he said, the money had been attached to the drought relief package the Senate passed weeks ago. However, the House passed its own drought relief bill prior to the bird flu outbreak. The two bills were sent to a conference committee, but a difference over the House bill has stalled the negotiations, making the new bill a necessity.
Lippert said there will most likely be more funds to fight the outbreak made available as they are needed.
Jeff Johnson’s full conversation with Senator Rich Draheim can be heard here
United Way offering suggestions for Volunteer Week
National Volunteer Week will begin on Sunday, and the Rice County Area United Way is encouraging everyone in the area to volunteer for
something they find interesting, or think is important.
The organization has published a list of volunteer opportunities in Rice County to help peopl find the right one:
- Community Action Center food shelves: Volunteers are wanted as greeters, food stockers, inventory takers, organizing, and more.
- Three Rivers Action Center – Volunteers are wanted for Meals on Wheels delivery at 11 a.m. Monday through Friday in the Faribault area.
- Habitat for Humanity: Site hosts and volunteer builders are wanted in June for five houses being built in Faribault. (No experience necessary.)
- Growing Up Healthy: Volunteers are wanted to install heat tape this spring to keep mobile homes warm in winter.
- Ruth’s House of Hope: This spring, volunteers are wanted to paint the front porch of the shelter, help with yard maintenance (one time or all summer), and play with the children.
- Project Friendship: Volunteers are wanted to drive mentors to their mentee’s school and back to campus.
- Center for Family Unity: Volunteer supervisors are needed for supervised parent visits with children (training offered).
- River Bend Nature Center: Volunteers are wanted to remove Buckthorn, Garlic Mustard and Wild Parsnip. These are date-specific. Contact Volunteer@greatrivergreening.org
- 24-hour Safeline volunteer – requires a 40-hour training offered online, on demand.
- Hope Center: Volunteer to answer the 24-hour Safeline (requires training)
To learn about these opportunities and more, please visit ricecountyunitedway.org.
Rich Larson is the KYMN News Director. Contact him at rich@kymnradio.net
[recent_post_carousel slides_to_show=”1″ limit=”5″ slides_to_scroll=”1″ category=”10″ media_size=”medium” dots=”false” show_read_more=”false”]
