By Logan Wells, News Director | Logan@kymnradio.net
In August, Carleton College announced its intention to donate $2 million to the Northfield High School Renovation Project, if Question 1 were to pass this fall. The donation would lower the project’s cost by $2 million overall for taxpayers and would not be an add-on to the project.
Private colleges donating to other non-profits is uncommon, especially in the Midwest, and a donation of this size would be the first in Minnesota history, according to Byerly and Hillmann. However, Byerly said that it shows Carleton‘s “commitment to education and the importance of education at all levels of the community.” She noted how fortunate Carleton is to be in Northfield, attracting both faculty members to live in town and students to attend the college.
Byerly noted that a donation of this size needs commitment from the whole Carleton community, not just her, stating that donors and students are concerned with how the college spends its funds:
“That there aren’t just piles of money that you can, you know, take a few bills off of at a college because sometimes folks imagine that colleges simply have tuition dollars that come in and then you expend them in any way that you want. … how do we justify this to donors. If you’re a donor who has given money to Carleton College imagining that it’s. Paying for faculty and classes you know you need a good explanation for why we would be using the money for something else.” – Carleton President Alison Byerly on the KYMN Morning Show
Funds for the pledge come from an unrestricted donation to the college, and student tuition dollars are not being used for the pledge. Question 1 of the referendum focuses on renovating the academic portions of the high school, including science labs, family and consumer science, art spaces, vocation workshops, and other classrooms, which Hillmann noted Carleton is particularly interested in investing in. Question 1 would also address safety and mechanical issues in the school. Question 2 would address issues in the athletic facilities, and Question 3 would install a geothermal heating and cooling system, which would lower the energy costs of the high school.
You can listen to the full interview with President Byerly by clicking here and find more information about the school’s referendum in the 2024 Election Guide.
Additionally, the public schools continue to host high school tours to learn more about the renovation project. Superintendent of Schools Dr. Matt Hillmann leads the tour, and voters will have an opportunity to talk with him and ask questions.
The next tour is on Oct. 7th at 6pm, enter through door number 10, and signs will direct you to the media center where the tour will start. Additional tours will be on October 15th, the 24th, and November 2nd. Public Q&A sessions will be in the High School auditorium on October 8th and October 22nd.
