Northfield Public Schools Observer Report: School Board Meeting, 10.23.23

Posted on by northfieldcfleague in Northfield School Board, Observer Reports

  1. Call to Order – by School Board Chair Claudia Gonzalez George at 6:00 p.m. All board members present
  2. Agenda Approval/Table File – Approved as presented
  3. Public Comment – None
  4. Announcements and Recognitions –

Dr. Matt Hillmann:  Athletic achievements: NHS boys soccer team won section championship after beginning season at 1/6, will be playing in state tournament. Girls swim & dive team will compete this week at state competition. Girls’ cross-country team swept the Big Nine meet and will compete for a spot in the state tournament. Boys’ cross country will also compete to be in state tournament.

Northfield’s Growing up Healthy Early Childhood Navigator team won a Circle of Excellence award from the Minnesota Department of Human Services. Navigators work to provide access to the district’s childhood programs for underserved families.

While ACT scores were lower nationally, Northfield’s scores improved, and were the best since 2018. Average ACT scores for Northfield’s class of 2023 were higher than 2022, and were also higher in all subject areas than state averages.

Agriculture Education returned to the high school for the first time in 33 years, and received a high interest response. The outreach class for grades 7-12 was well attended, and they are laying the groundwork in preparation for Future Farmers of America in Northfield.

  • Items for Discussion and Reports
  • Proposed 2024-2025 School Year Calendar – for action on November board meeting. This calendar was delayed to be sure it complies with new legislative requirements. (See https://northfieldschools.org/wp-content/uploads/10.23.2023-Regular-School-Board-Packet.pdf for details.) New for the 2024-2025 school year: Nov. 27 (day before Thanksgiving) has been a holiday in past years, but will instead be a “rehearsal” for e-learning days, so parents/students know what to do. Proposed calendar includes one true “snow day” (no school); any other snow days would be e-learning days. The district is also scheduling more frequent family conference times, and is still working on format. The calendar should be settled in November.

Questions: Jenny Nelson: In past years students have had the day before Thanksgiving off, is this a new requirement from the legislature? Dr. Hillmann: No, but if we don’t have school or e-learning on that day, we will have to add an extra day in June. Jeff Quinnell: Were there any alternatives to having it on that day? Dr. Hillmann: This e-learning rehearsal needs to be done before the winter, and must be adjacent to a weekend or break; this date looked the best.

  • Request to hire English Learner Instructional Support at Northfield Middle School  – Presented by Instructional Services Director Hope Langston. There have been fluctuations in EL enrollment since the budget process, when the district reduced FTE for English Learners. As of last week, the Middle School had 220 EL students, 21 more than last year at this time. Two will also be at St. Dominic’s (the district is required to provide services to them). Two options: (1) If St. Dominic’s students have better English skills than expected after screening, the current staff will be able to manage this load. (2) If they are not proficient in English language, they will need more services, including busing. Those students will also need personnel in “content area” classes in addition to specific EL classes.

Questions:  Ben Miller: How much does that number usually fluctuate during the year? Ms. Langston: Figures were based on COVID years, when there were fewer new enrollees. Enrollment now is starting to tick up again, it is not predictable, but she anticipates additional enrollment this year. Charts with past enrollment and FTE numbers showed enrollment increases until COVID, when they dropped; then the reduced FTEs remained stable until post-pandemic. Within an academic year there isn’t usually too much fluctuation, but if we get “new to country” students and the district is already stretched it will be difficult to meet the need. Dr. Hillmann: Should we add some “contingency” FTE for that possibility? It will be inflexible and unresponsive if we don’t do that. Amy Goerwitz:  Are these permanent additions? Ms. Langston: Just until the end of the school year. Ms. Gonzalez George: Can we “be nimble” and add mid-year? Ms. Langston: No, we already used up our capacity to be “nimble.” Ms. Gonzalez George: Are we looking to hire someone new, or add to existing staff? Ms. Langston: We would like to hire someone.

  • Northfield High School Facility Bond Referendum Decision Timeline – (See https://northfieldschools.org/wp-content/uploads/10.23.2023-Regular-School-Board-Packet.pdf for details.) Dr. Hillmann presented an action calendar for board, and history of district bond referenda (failed in 2017, passed elementary only in 2020). We need to assess the high school physical plant problems and options for fixing them. They are planning public tours of the building with members of the high school youth council, and will collect feedback after each tour. A community feedback session will be held in January, with the board decision on election referendum in February. The information process begins earlier than last election, because early voting begins only two weeks after school starts.

Questions: Ms. Nelson: Will we receive a new comprehensive list of concerns, since there are changes since 2017 and 2022? Dr. Hillmann: The 2022 list is fairly current; there are just a handful of updates. Ms. Nelson: How did you arrive at the updates? Dr. Hillmann: Wold Architects went room-to-room and created a very detailed assessment. They will do another less comprehensive walk-through, and then determine if a whole new study is necessary. Ms. Nelson: In two years a lot can change with cost & condition of equipment; we need to know the current status of existing equipment. For the community meeting, she wants to ensure that the scheduling allows community members to attend, especially those working nights and with small children. Dr. Hillmann: The district can offer child care for those families. Ms. Goerwitz: Some people work Saturday mornings, maybe also add a weekday evening? The community conversation about the condition of the high school should be going before the survey is distributed, so the survey is not a “cold call.” Dr. Hillmann: The district will mail postcards to community with dates for tours, and where they can find more information. Ms. Goerwitz wants photos of the issues at the high school to be posted on the district website, especially for those who can’t make tours.

Questions:  Ms. Goerwitz: How does this “reimbursement” work? Does it include benefits? Finance Director Valori Mertesdorf: This position is shared with HCI, which will be the employer. We are responsible only for the financial payment; they pay salary & benefits. Staff will track their hours by organization served, and HCI will bill the district monthly for its share.

  • Committee Reports – none

7. Consent Agenda – approved (see https://northfieldschools.org/wp-content/uploads/10.23.2023-Regular-Meeting-Table-File.pdf )

a. Minutes

b. Gift Agreements

c. Overnight Field Trip

d. Personnel Items

8.    Items for Individual Action –

a. Northfield High School Facility Community Survey  – See last meeting’s board pack for more complete information https://northfieldschools.org/wp-content/uploads/2023.10.09-Board-Packet.pdf ) Dr. Hillmann clarified how company reaches people who did not pick up the phone; they always call the person back, rather than receiving a return call. They will keep calling until they get to 400 responses. He is asking for authority to move forward with the survey.

Questions: Jeff Quinnell: Will be a “no” vote. It duplicates the survey of several years ago, and $23K is too expensive. Dr. Hillmann: Realizes the process is accelerated and that the board is having to make decisions earlier. He thinks the data will be useful, but a lot can happen between data collection and the election.  Ms. Goerwitz: When will the board have impact on specific questions and the timeline? Dr. Hillmann: In the past several board members have been on a committee for input into specific questions, Dr. Hillmann has final approval. He does not recommend having the full board look at it; rather he recommends the board appoint a committee to create questions. Ms. Nelson: Expressed concern with difference between the number of polled voters and total registered voters. There is no evidence for this comparison, or whether the survey will truly be accurate to 85%. She is not confident in the results, and believes there are other alternatives that could be done within the timeline. Mr. Miller: Working with this reputable firm gives him more confidence in results; it is a very complex process. He is not concerned with cost since the bond referendum is tens of millions of dollars. It is a good process and a reputable company. Noel Stratmoen: Iin favor of this survey, both timeline and expense. Doing it in-house is very expensive & time intensive, the district said “never again” after the first time they did it. Using a third party should eliminate bias. Mr. Butler: Wants to move ahead with survey, agrees with Mr. Stratmoen’s points, thinks it will be a wise expenditure. Ms. Gonzelez George: The district needs scientific data to see what community will support, and believes the updated survey will provide good feedback.

Action: roll call vote – Motion passed on a roll call vote, with Ms. Nelson and Mr. Quinnell voting no, and the remainder of the board voting yes.

b. Policy Committee Recommendations – Policies 206, 208, 209 as presented at last meeting (see https://northfieldschools.org/wp-content/uploads/2023.10.09-Board-Packet.pdf )

Questions:  Ms. Goerwitz: Concerning Policy 206(5) on public comment at school board meetings, should this policy include language about trespassing? Dr. Hillmann: Trespass procedure is granted by the state, and is used only for more extreme events. The first step is to withdraw the privilege to present a public comment. Previous incident that required a trespass notice was an outlier, not a common occurrence. Ms. Gonzalez George: That event had to do with the masking requirement, not with public comment. Dr. Hillmann explained trespass protocols, which have a significant impact on parents and the public, including inability to attend concerts, conferences, athletic events, or anything else on school property. It is only used very rarely. For public comment, trespass would only be used if person is being very disruptive.

Action: motion carried

9. Items for Information

a. World’s Best Workforce Presentation and Public Hearing – Hope Langston will present at 5:15 Monday Nov. 13, preceding regular board meeting.

10.   Future Meetings

a. Monday, November 13, 2023, 5:15 p.m., World’s Best Workforce Public Hearing, Boardroom

b. Monday, November 13, 2023, 6:00 p.m., Regular Board Meeting, Northfield District Office Boardroom

c. Monday, November 27, 2023, 6:00 p.m., Regular Board Meeting, Northfield District Office Boardroom

d. Monday, December 11, 2023, 6:00 p.m. Regular Board Meeting, Northfield District Office Boardroom

11. Adjournment – adjourned at 7:23 p.m.

By Connie Martin, Observer, League of Women Voters

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