A St. Olaf student has been charged with attempted murder and three felony counts of assault with a dangerous weapon, stemming from an
incident that took place early Sunday morning.
According to the criminal complaint, 20-year-old William Schulenberg of Chanhassen, entered a room in the Ytterboe dormitory through a window where a gathering was taking place, armed with a knife and a hammer. Schulenberg had been excluded from the gathering because of a no-contact order issued by the school between Schulenberg and a female student who was attending.
The female sustained multiple injuries after Schulenberg attacked her, stabbing her at least twice, and hitting her in the head at least three times twice. Three other people in the room, all male students, sustained injuries as well when they intervened to stop him. Two of males, as well as the female victim, were all treated at Northfield Hospital.
According to the complaint, the woman told police that she and Schulenberg had a relationship that ended several months ago, and she believed Schulenberg was trying to kill her.
St. Olaf College Vice-President for Student Life Dr. Hassel Morrison issued a statement that said Schulenberg had been expelled from the school and banned from campus.
“St. Olaf is working with the Northfield Police Department,” the statement read in part. “There is no ongoing threat to St. Olaf students, the campus, or the broader community. [Schulenberg] is not allowed to return to campus and he will not be a St. Olaf College student going forward. The college is actively working to support our students and the safety of our full campus community.”
Schulenberg has been charged with premeditated attempted first-degree murder, which carries a maximum sentence of twenty years in prison. He has also been charged with three counts of assault with a deadly weapon and inflicting bodily harm. Each of those counts could carry a further sentence totaling 30 years and fines of as much as $60,000.
Judge Christine Long has set Schulenberg’s bail at $1 million with no conditions, and at $500,000 with conditions that include wearing a GPS monitor, having no contact with the victims or witnesses in the case, staying off the St. Olaf campus and not entering the city limits of Northfield.
House passes massive education support bill
Last week the Minnesota State House of Representatives passed a $3.3 billion Supplemental Education Funding Bill
that would address many of the primary issues Minnesota school districts, including Northfield, are wrestling with.
Representative Todd Lippert said with a $9.3 billion budget surplus, the state is in a position to be able to help, and his party has chosen to take action.
The Northfield School District recently announced budget reductions totaling $4.5 million dollars over the next two school years. The cuts would decrease across-the-board spending, reduce the English Learner staff by about 25%, eliminate five full time teaching positions in the high school and the middle school, and end programs like the agricultural partnership Northfield shares with the Randolph school district, and the Online Portage program, just to name a few.
Northfield Superintendent of Schools, Dr. Matt Hillmann, has said several times that one of the main reasons the budget is being reduced is because of steadily declining state funding, and has used the Special Education Cross Subsidy as an example. The federal and state governments both mandate the school district maintain a strong special education program, but they have failed over the years to provide the funding attached to that mandate. Representative Lippert said the bill the House has just passed would address that issue, among others.
“Northfield is facing the reality of $4.5 million in cuts. Rochester is facing $23 million. And we know that the Special Education Cross Subsidy is the main budget gap that we need to fill. With the resources we have – with the surplus – we can do that. Our proposal would really address those budget gaps that districts like Northfield are facing, in a big way.”
According to Lippert, the bill would fund 55% of the special education programs across the state. It also contains money for those English Learners programs like the one being reduced in Northfield, and for Mental Health programs, which became a key issue in the recent Minneapolis teachers strike.
Despite the action taken by the house, there is little optimism the bill will become law. Lippert pointed out that while the House is allocating $3.3 billion to education from the surplus, the Senate bill offers $30 million.
“They aren’t hearing the same concerns from our schools right now, or wanting to respond,” said Lippert, “but we are. And we want to make sure that we’re addressing these needs.”
Jeff Johnson’s full conversation with Representative Todd Lippert can be heard here
City Council to meet tonight
And the Northfield City Council will meet tonight in the Council Chambers in City Hall. 
Among the items on the agenda the Council will discuss some Land Development Code provisions related to the Heritage Preservation Commission. They will discuss possible improvements to the rail signals at 2nd Street, and they will consider a resolution establishing a Branding Advisory Committee. A public hearing will be held regarding the A.W. Norton House, and whether it should be designated as a local Heritage Preservation site, which will be followed by the first reading of an ordinance establishing that designation, and Northfield Hospital + Clinics will give a presentation on its 2021 audit.
As always, the city and the council are asking to hear opinions and comments from the public. Anyone who wishes to do so is invited to come to the meeting and address the council on any topic they see fit. Those wishing to voice their opinions without addressing the council should email their councilors directly or post a comment through the eComment button on the “Agendas” section of the City Council website.
Tonight’s meeting will begin at 6pm.
Rich Larson is the KYMN News Director. Contact him at rich@kymnradio.net.
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