By Logan Wells, News Director | Logan@kymnradio.net
PREVIOUS STORY (1/22/2025): Prairie Creek Community School Provides Annual Report To School Board
PREVIOUS STORY (2/12/2025): Arcadia Charter School Gives Annual Report To the School Board
At the last school board meeting, the board heard a report about the annual in-person review of the two local charter schools, Prairie Creek and Arcadia. Charter Schools in Minnesota are required by law to have an authorizer who reviews the school regularly. Northfield is unique in that it is one of only two school districts in the state to authorize charter schools. The tour was led by Daryl Kehler, who is the Alternative Learning Center Director and Staff Liaison to the charter schools for the district, also in attendance was Superintendent of Schools Dr. Matt Hillmann at the tours. Both tours happened at the end of January.
Kehler says that they had a full schedule reviewing the school meeting with students, staff, leadership, parents, and other stakeholders. Kehler said that the goal of the visit it to answer four questions:
- Is the educational program a success?
- Is the organization efficient and well run?
- Is the school meeting its legal obligations?
- Are strategies in place for sustaining success and continuing to improve over the next charter term?
Kehler stated that for both schools, the answer was yes to each question, in particular noting the commitment of both schools to their mission, here is Kehler at the school board meeting discussing Prairie Creek:
“The mission of being a progressive charter school, and when you talk to anyone in the organization. Students, parents, staff members, everyone constantly refers to the mission of this is what this is, what’s guiding our purpose. And so it’s very inspiring that they are very committed to that mission.” – Daryl Kehler, Director the ALC and District Staff Liason to the Charter Schools, at the 2/10/2025 School Board Meeting
Kehler stated that the mission influences everything from academic plans to budgeting. And here’s Kehler discussing Arcadia’s mission:
“The Mission is different but similar in the in their way of progressive education [the focus] is project-based learning at Arcadia, and so they are very committed to project-based learning.” – Daryl Kehler, Director the ALC and District Staff Liason to the Charter Schools, at the 2/10/2025 School Board Meeting
With funding of Minnesota public schools linked to enrollment, this has led to questions about whether the charter schools benefit the Northfield Public Schools overall. Kehler cited school choice as one of the benefits for the district:
“So for me, my educational philosophy is very much school choice. And so one of the big benefits of the district is it offers that school choice. Just another option for students that if there’s another option that’s not working for them, just another choice option that they do have. And having the district be part of that can just ensure that quality programming is provided.” – Daryl Kehler, Director the ALC and District Staff Liason to the Charter Schools, at the 2/10/2025 School Board Meeting
Dr. Hillmann noted that there has also been a benefit that the district has learned from the two charter schools:
“And it goes both ways. We have quarterly meetings with the Charter school directors and we get a lot of good ideas from them as well.” Superintendent of Schools Dr. Matt Hillmann at the 2/10/2025 School Board Meeting
Dr. Hillmann cited academic and budgeting items that the district and charter schools have learned from each other.
You can view both reports below:
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