By Logan Wells, News Director | Logan@kymnradio.net
Stories in This Series:
- Listen To More: An In-Depth Look At the Northfield Public Schools Budget Reductions
- 3/10/2025: Northfield Public Schools Publishes Budget Reduction Proposals; Public Forum Rescheduled to April 3rd
- 3/24/2025: With the Northfield Schools Budget Cuts, Why is the District Continuing High School Construction Project?
- 3/25/2025: What Happens To The Ice Arena Agreement With the School District Budget Reductions?
- 3/26/2026: What is being proposed in the Elementary Schools Budget Reductions
- 3/27/2025: What is Being Proposed for Budget Reductions at the Middle School, High School, and ALC
- 3/28/2025: Fee Increases are the Primary Item in the Activities Package of Budget Reductions
Today, we are reviewing the proposals for the Secondary level of education, which includes the Middle School, High School, and Area Learning Center. The total reduction is $1.6 million, which is proportional to the overall $6 million in budget reductions.
At the High School, 3.60 Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) teaching positions would be eliminated. Also, at the High School, one of the four counselor positions would be eliminated, and an Assistant Principal position would be replaced by a Dean of
Students who would be teachers who took on some additional responsibilities.
However, more significant changes are being proposed at the middle school level. The reductions propose shifting the Middle School from a 7-hour schedule each day to a 6-hour schedule. Doing so would eliminate the 7th Grade Health Class and reduce the number of elective classes offered to students, thus eliminating teaching roles.
Superintendent of Schools Dr. Matt Hillmann noted that many of the details are still being worked out for how exactly each program would work:
“There are some items on these that say a 15% reduction in this particular area. We can look at the number we make that its pretty straightforward, but a schedule change like is being proposed takes more than that. Details really are unfolding right now and will unfold even more over the month or so.” – Dr. Matt Hillmann, Northfield Schools Superintendent of Schools, KYMN News Special
Among the other proposals is an increase in the High School Parking Fee and the Advanced Placement Exam fee and a reduction in supplies budgets. Will have the full packet of recommendations posted on our website.
In one positive note, the Middle School Torch program was originally planned to be eliminated in the budget reductions, but with additional funding from Healthy Community Initiative, the program will continue.
Tomorrow we will be reviewing the budget reductions in the Activities package.
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