On Monday, the market research firm of Morris Leatherman will begin to conduct a phone survey on behalf of the Northfield School District to determine what district voters feel should be done about the Northfield High School facility.
The issue has been in front of the Northfield School district community for several years. The high school facility is deficient in many areas. The original section of the building is more than 60 years old, and there are mechanical and physical aspects of the facility, particularly with regard to temperature control, that need to be replaced.
The survey will be conducted with the intention of learning what should be included in a funding referendum that would be placed on the November election ballot. The data collected will tell the School Board and the District Staff what the voters of the district are willing to support and what the financial tolerance is to remodel or replace the high school.
Last fall, Claudia Gonzalez-George, the Chair of the School Board, said the sample will be demographically representative of the voters of Northfield, and at 400 respondents, it will be an appropriate sample size for a city like Northfield. The margin of error on a survey like this, she said, is 4.8%.
In a statement issued by the school district, Superintendent Matt Hillmann said the survey will provide important data to both the district staff and the Northfield School board.
“Scientific survey data will help the board of education make a wise decision,” he said, “in what it asks the voters to consider, if anything, as part of a potential November 2024 bond referendum.”
According to a statement issued by the school board, those contacted for the survey will see Morris Leatherman Company on the caller id, from either a (651) or (507) area code. The survey will consist of 35 multiple-choice questions. It is estimated to take between five and ten minutes to complete.
The school district worked with Morris Leatherman last year in partnership with the City of Northfield on a survey regarding the Northfield ice Arena, as well as other school facility related questions. Gonzalez George said some of those same questions will be a part of this survey as well, while some of the questions will be formed for this specific purpose.
The Northfield School District has been conducting an informational campaign over the past few months, offering members of the community every opportunity to learn about the problems that exist with the high school, by conducting open school board work sessions and offering tours of the high school. More tours are scheduled for January 20th and February 3rd. Another open work session is scheduled for February 20th.
Thomas asks for common since in decision making
Rice County Sheriff Jesse Thomas is using the start of a new year to promote public safety. As people are making changes in their lifestyle, he said practicing some common sense, or at least putting more thought into the things one is doing, would be a good thing to add to a list of resolutions.
The most important area to pay more attention to what you are doing, he said, is driving. Thomas has expressed real frustration with inattentive driving over the last year, and for good reason. There were 13 fatal crashes on Rice County roads in 2023, which was the highest number in more than 20 years. Many of those fatalities happened in the construction zone set up on I-35 on the West side of Faribault this summer, and in every instance the crash was caused by inattentive driving, speeding, or both. Thomas said his department has issued warnings to drivers over and over again about what needs to happen, and what should not be happening, behind the steering wheel, but they have yet to find the right message.
“I never like to say one fatality is good, but we ended up with 13 this year, which is a little higher than in previous years. I’m working on trying to figure out how to get the message out to people – slow down and put your phone down. It seems like we constantly send out messages to get people to change their ways and I don’t know what the answer is. I’d like to not have to have anybody die in a crash in our county and we’re going to keep pushing for zero.”
The project on I-35 is scheduled to take two years, which means the same area will be under construction again this coming summer.
Another area that requires people to pay some attention and maybe exercise a little patience is ice fishing. The record warm temperatures have kept Rice County lakes from freezing over yet, but with colder weather predicted for next week, there could be some immediate problems. It is easy to understand the eagerness of anglers to get their fish houses out on a frozen lake and take advantage of one of Minnesota’s most popular activities, but Thomas said just because ice is finally forming on a lake, does not mean it’s safe.
“But as a reminder, it takes a while to get good ice and it’s never 100% safe. Make sure if you’re going to go out – once we do have some ice out there – make sure you let people know where you’re going. Check the ice as you go, by drilling holes or using a chisel. And wear a life jacket.”
According to the Minnesota DNR, it takes at least four inches of ice to support the weight of the average person, but ice rarely forms uniformly. Both the DNR and Sheriff Thomas are asking for patience and an abundance of caution.
Jeff Johnson’s full conversation with Rice County Sheriff Jesse Thomas can be heard here
Rich Larson is the KYMN News Director. Contact him at rich@kymnradio.net
